Is prehospital treatment of nausea/vomiting recommended for pediatric patients?
The answer is “no” for several reasons. First, more often than not in kids, the condition is related to viral illness, which resolves quickly. Second, several of the medications traditionally used to treat this condition can cause drowsiness. Parents are taught that this is a danger sign in children because it represents altered mental status due to progression of illness. Therefore, we do not like to administer medications that cause this condition, with the exception of low-dose narcotic pain medications for non-infectious disease situations. Third, calculation of drug dosages for children is complicated and introduces the possibility of medical error. Fourth, there are very few studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of these medications in the pediatric population.
