questions about vomiting

[august07]

So when you give a patient their meds and they throwup right after, do you fish out the meds and give them again or just chart that they vomited after giving the meds? Or get pharmacy to send new ones up? I have heard different things. If they are important meds like BP I would think you would have to give them again. Also, I am fine with stool, blood, urine, etc. but sometimes seeing emesis just makes me feel like I'm about to add to it. Any tips for this?

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Doesnt matter one way or the other,, unless you gave your patient only one/two pills and you actually visually see one (which might be drastically different than the other) or both pills in the emesis you DO NOT repeat the medication without an order from the doctor. There is NO WAY to accurately identify the pills. Even a short time in stomache acid deteriorates the coatings and etchings on the pills.

If you choose to repeat the dose without an order you are prescribing without a license. It is a decision that needs to be discussed with the doctor.

[allantiques4me]

I definely would not remedicate.You do not know how much of the medication was absorbed into thier systems,even if it was a smalll amount.

[KellNY, RN]

There is NO WAY to accurately identify the pills. Even a short time in stomache acid deteriorates the coatings and etchings on the pills.

I disagree. I've seen more than one pill come out with the brand still etched in there, and a few gel caps that were fully intact (read: all medication inside).

[rnin02]

Okay, I think what they were trying to say is they figure out which ones are not digested and administer that same medication again. I don't think they were trying to say that they would take the pills that were in the vomit and administer them.

Reread the first post...the OP clearly states "fish the pills out and give them OR call pharmacy to send new ones up". Yuck.

edited to add the quote, my emphasis

do you fish out the meds and give them again or just chart that they vomited after giving the meds? Or get pharmacy to send new ones up?

[Drysolong]

"fish them out and give them again'......your joking right??? As Muhaha said, EEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

Re: questions about vomiting

permalink

ewww why would you "fish them out" and give them again? i wouldnt want to swallow something that i had just puked up! :imbar

These are the type of questions one asks when they are new and inexperienced. Remember, "there are no dumb questions" or so people say. Some of the responses on this thread demonstrate why many people are afraid to ask questions. DO YOU NOT remember when you were new and experienced, and "obvious" facts were not so forthcoming?????

[TazziRN, RN]

Umm........I disagree, Dry......this is med admin AND nursing basics......you do not give a pt anything by mouth when they are vomiting. And if a nurse tried to make me swallow the very same stuff I had just puked up, I'd be asking her "Would you swallow something you just threw up???"

[Drysolong]

Umm........I disagree, Dry......this is med admin AND nursing basics......you do not give a pt anything by mouth when they are vomiting. And if a nurse tried to make me swallow the very same stuff I had just puked up, I'd be asking her "Would you swallow something you just threw up???"

You have a point! However, as someone coming to the Medical field as a complete novice, there were so many things I didn't know that my instructors and fellow students with previous medical experience took for granted. On the other hand, they asked what I considered very basic questions about computer usage and business practices that were second-hand to me and I thought were "common sense and that everone should know.

[rnin02]

You have a point! However, as someone coming to the Medical field as a complete novice, there were so many things I didn't know that my instructors and fellow students with previous medical experience took for granted. On the other hand, they asked what I considered very basic questions about computer usage and business practices that were second-hand to me and I thought were "common sense and that everone should know.

I guess your first clinical this might be an okay question...but by the time you graduate and are practicing, you shouldn't be a "complete novice" to the medical community. I guess we don't know for sure if the OP is a student or licensed at this point.

[august07]

Thanks for all your answers. Maybe to some of you it is "common sense" and basic skills, but in my first year of nursing school one of my instructors specifically told us that if a pt.vomited, you could take the pills out, rinse them off, and re-administer. That is why I asked, because it didn't sound right to me, I just wanted to hear what others thought. I know it sounds like a pretty dumb question, but I had to ask.

[leslie :-D]

Thanks for all your answers. Maybe to some of you it is "common sense" and basic skills, but in my first year of nursing school one of my instructors specifically told us that if a pt.vomited, you could take the pills out, rinse them off, and re-administer. That is why I asked, because it didn't sound right to me, I just wanted to hear what others thought. I know it sounds like a pretty dumb question, but I had to ask.

i'm glad you asked, august.

there's no such thing as a dumb question.

maybe, dumb responses.

best of luck to you.

leslie

[rnin02]

Thanks for all your answers. Maybe to some of you it is "common sense" and basic skills, but in my first year of nursing school one of my instructors specifically told us that if a pt.vomited, you could take the pills out, rinse them off, and re-administer. That is why I asked, because it didn't sound right to me, I just wanted to hear what others thought. I know it sounds like a pretty dumb question, but I had to ask.

scary instructor. good of you to question that teaching!