Nitrous oxide and post-operative nausea and vomiting

Post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is still an important cause of post-anaesthetic morbidity. Therefore efforts should be undertaken to minimize the risks for PONV. Along with other pharmacological agents, nitrous oxide (N2O) has been suggested to be one of the contributing factors of PONV. Although the results of numerous studies investigating this matter are conflicting, N2O has to be considered at least as a weak risk factor.