persistent vomiting despite antiemetics?

Published

What if you give a patient who is actively vomiting a whole cocktail of anti emetics and they still continue to vomit?

What do you normally do in that situation? I heard the patient can be sedated with Lorazepam. Does that really work?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

What are your thoughts? What clinical conditions are in the differential?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
What are your thoughts? What clinical conditions are in the differential?

Chemotherapy

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have them check and recheck and re-recheck the chemo. This very presentation, when ignored for four days, was what killed a woman and seriously injured three others when somebody wrote a wrong order and nobody caught it, including the nurses (12-hour shifts, four different nurses on four days). She was vomiting up sheets of tissue as her whole esophagus and more sloughed.

Heads rolled on that one, including (if I remember correctly) the director of nurses, the pharmacist, and the oncology fellow.

Hey, it's infofreak back again. Decided to stay in nursing now?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology.

We use lorazepam all of the time as an anti-emetic for our oncology folks. Not to sedate them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

Yeah, the refractory vomiting despite gold standard measures like odansetron really warrants a second look at the chemotherapy and hydration status. Especially if the chemo is for a brain tumor then increased ICP must be considered and addressed immediately (or even if the person has some kind of predisposition to having aneurysms that the chemo could make that much worse....).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Haldol haldol haldol haldol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Deleted my comment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Have them check and recheck and re-recheck the chemo. This very presentation, when ignored for four days, was what killed a woman and seriously injured three others when somebody wrote a wrong order and nobody caught it, including the nurses (12-hour shifts, four different nurses on four days). She was vomiting up sheets of tissue as her whole esophagus and more sloughed.

Heads rolled on that one, including (if I remember correctly) the director of nurses, the pharmacist, and the oncology fellow.

Hey, it's infofreak back again. Decided to stay in nursing now?

Was just curious as I know someone this happened to Lol.. And I am.in know way asking for medical advice, I know that's against terms and services. Just seeing g other experiences

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Department.

Isopropyl alcohol aromatherapy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Deleted my comment.

Not a troll just seeking information, and the fact you had you announce that you deleted your thread indictates to me your crying for attention.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion