Exploring the correlation between Preoperative Gut Microbiota and Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Using 16S Absolute Quantitative Sequencing : A Prospective Observational Study

Background: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is the most common adverse reaction after surgery. A variety of methods have been used to prevent PONV, but this condition has still failed to reach a satisfactory level. From the perspective of the interaction between gut microbes and the host, 16S absolute quantitative sequencing technology is used to find new ideas for prevention. Methods The patients suffering from nausea and vomiting 24 h after surgery were divided into a PONV group (n = 22) and a non-PONV group (n = 22). The microorganisms related to the occurrence and development of PONV were assessed using bioinformatics and analysed. Analysis of correlation was used to indicate the relationship between microbiota and PONV, and the possibility of the gut microbiome in predicting PONV was assessed by ROC analysis. Results There were significant differences in α- and β-diversities between the PONV and non-PONV groups. Six microorganisms were the typical representatives. Among these genera, Bifidobacterium, Bilophila and Oscillibacter were negatively associated with the severity of PONV. ROC analysis indicated that it was dependable to predict PONV by using Bifidobacterium. Conclusions These findings propose a possible new mechanism of PONV from the perspective of gut microbiota and a theoretical basis for the prevention of PONV by taking probiotics preoperatively.