Nausea ,vomitting are common go to side effects of a drug, when external examiner asks during viva of a medical student. But, these symptoms can reveal many underlying conditions and diseases apart from the side effects of many drugs.
Nausea is imminent desire to vomit and often precedes or accompanies vomitting. vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the gastric contents through mouth.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY:
1. Activation of the CTZ ,sends the impulses to the vomiting centre in brainstem,
2. Gastric fundus and gastroesophageal sphincter relaxes inturn cause raise in intra-abdominal pressure increase,due to increase in abdominal and diaphragm muscle contraction causes the gastric contents to enter the oesophagus ,
3. Increased intra-thoracic pressure results in further movement of food material to mouth
4.Reflex elevation of the soft palate and closure of glottis protect the nasopharynx and trachea and completes the vomiting
Causes of vomiting:
1. DRUGS:
-Cancer chemotherapy
-Antibiotics
-Cardiac antiarrhythmics
-Digoxin
-Oral hypoglycemics
-Oral contraceptives
2.Metabolic and endocrine causes:
-Pregnancy
-Uremia
-Ketoacidosis
-Thyroid and parathyroid disease.
-Adrenal insufficiency
3.Toxins:
-Liver failure
-Ethanol
4.Labyrinthine disease
- Motion sickness
- Labyrinthitis
- Malignancy
5. Bowel obstructing disorder
6. Cardiopulmonary disorders and cardiomyopathies
7.Enteric infections
-viral
-Bacterial
8.Inflammatory dieases.
- cholecystitis.
-Pancreatitis
-Appendicitis
-Hepatitis.
9.Intracerebral disorders
-Intracerebral disorders
-Malignancy
-Abscess
-Hydrocephalus
10. Post operative vomiting
11.Impaired motor functions.
Careful clinical examination, will reveal the underlying cause for nausea and vomiting, like ,vomiting that occurs predominantly in the morning is often seen in pregnancy, uremia, and alcoholic gastritis;projectile vomiting suggests increased intracranial pressure,vomiting during or shortly after a meal may be due to psychogenic causes or peptic ulcer disease.
complications, can be Rupture of the esophagus,hematemesis from a mucosal tear,dehydration, malnutrition, dental caries and erosions, metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, and aspiration pneumonitis.
Treatment is mainly based on the treatment of the underlying cause,
-Antihistamines such as meclizine and dimenhydrinate are effective
for nausea due to inner ear dysfunction
-Anticholinergics such as scopolamine are effective for nausea
associated with motion sickness
-Haloperidol and phenothiazine derivatives such as
prochlorperazine are often effective in controlling mild nausea
and vomiting, but sedation, hypotension, and parkinsonian
symptoms are common side effects.
-Metoclopramide may be superior to the phenothiazines in treating
severe nausea and vomiting.IV metoclopramide may be effective
as prophylaxis against nausea when given before chemotherapy.
-Ondansetron and granisetron, serotonin receptor blockers,
and glucocorticoids are used for treating nausea and vomiting
associated with cancer chemotherapy.
-Aprepitant, a neurokinin receptor blocker, is effective at
controlling nausea from highly emetic drugs like cisplatin
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