Overview

• Nearly one-third of children discharged from emergency departments for acute gastroenteritis experience recurrent vomiting at home.
• A double-blind randomized trial within the Pediatric Emergency Research Canada network enrolled over 1,000 children aged 6 months to 18 years at six Canadian hospitals.
• Home administration of two ondansetron doses at discharge cut moderate-to-severe vomiting symptoms, the New England Journal of Medicine reported July 16.
• Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids issued new national guidelines on July 18 recommending emergency departments hand out two at-home ondansetron doses.
• Researchers will conduct subgroup analyses to pinpoint which children derive the greatest benefit from home ondansetron dosing.