Vomiting

Vomiting: 

Vomiting is usually associated with nausea, retching, salivation, anorexia or dyspepsia. It is important to distinguish true vomiting from regurgitation and to elicit whether the vomiting is acute or chronic (recurrent), as the underlying causes may differ. Associated symptoms of
abdominal pain, fever, diarrhoea, relationship to food, drug ingestion, headache, vertigo and weight loss should be sought.

Examination may reveal:

• signs of dehydration, fever and infection.
• Evidence of abdominal masses, peritonitis or intestinal obstruction.
• Neurological signs including papilloedema, nystagmus, photophobia and neck stiffness.
• Other findings may suggest alcoholism, pregnancy or bulimia as the underlying diagnosis.

The diagnostic approach will be dictated by the history and examination.

Causes of vomiting: