Use of Ondansetron in Children with Gastroenteritis

The results of this meta-analysis strengthen the finding that ondansetron reduces the risk for vomiting in children with presumed gastroenteritis.

Previously, we reported that ondansetron reduced the use of intravenous fluids in children with gastroenteritis in the emergency department (ED; JW Pediatr Adolesc Med May 5 2006). To further examine the effects of ondansetron use in the ED, investigators from North Carolina conducted a systematic review of data from 11 randomized trials in which antiemetic medication was used to treat children with vomiting from presumed gastroenteritis.

In the five studies (involving 662 children) that compared ondansetron and placebo use in the ED, ondansetron was associated with a significant reduction in hospital admission rates (7.5% vs. 14.6%; number needed to treat [NNT], 14). In four studies, ondansetron also significantly reduced IV fluid use (13.9…

Reviewing Author

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Howard Bauchner, MD

Disclosures

Grant / research supportHuman Resources and Services Administration; NIH; NIH-NHLBI; USDA; GlaxoSmithKline

Editorial boardsArchives of Disease in Childhood (Editor-in-Chief)

Use of Ondansetron in Children with Gastroenteritis

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Reviewing Author