Document Type
Article
Department
Women and Child Health; Paediatrics and Child Health
Abstract
Study objective: We determine whether single-dose oral ondansetron administration to children with vomiting as a result of acute gastroenteritis without dehydration reduces administration of intravenous fluid rehydration.
Methods: In this 2-hospital, double-blind, placebo-controlled, emergency department–based, randomized trial conducted in Karachi Pakistan, we recruited children aged 0.5 to 5.0 years, without dehydration, who had diarrhea and greater than or equal to 1 episode of vomiting within 4 hours of arrival. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1), through an Internet-based randomization service using a stratified variable-block randomization scheme, to single-dose oral ondansetron or placebo. The primary endpoint was intravenous rehydration (administration of 20 mL/kg of an isotonic fluid during 4 hours) within 72 hours of randomization.
Results: Participant median age was 15 months (interquartile range 10 to 26) and 59.4% (372/626) were male patients. Intravenous rehydration use was 12.1% (38/314) and 11.9% (37/312) in the placebo and ondansetron groups, respectively (odds ratio 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60 to 1.61; difference 0.2%; 95% CI of the difference –4.9% to 5.4%). Bolus fluid administration occurred within 72 hours of randomization in 10.8% (34/314) and 10.3% (27/312) of children administered placebo and ondansetron, respectively (odds ratio 0.95; 95% CI 0.56 to 1.59). A multivariable regression model fitted with treatment group and adjusted for antiemetic administration, antibiotics, zinc prerandomization, and vomiting frequency prerandomization yielded similar results (odds ratio 0.91; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.53). There was no interaction between treatment group and age, greater than or equal to 3 stools in the preceding 24 hours, or greater than or equal to 3 vomiting episodes in the preceding 24 hours.
Conclusion: Oral administration of a single dose of ondansetron did not result in a reduction in intravenous rehydration use. In children without dehydration, ondansetron does not improve clinical outcomes.
Publication (Name of Journal)
Annals of Emergency Medicine
Recommended Citation
Freedman, S. B.,
Soofi, S.,
Willan, A. R.,
Urquhart, S. W.,
Ali, N.,
Xie, J.,
Dawoud, F.,
Bhutta, Z. A.
(2018). Oral ondansetron administration to nondehydrated children with diarrhea and associated vomiting in emergency departments in Pakistan: A randomized controlled trial. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 73(3), 255-265.
Available at:
https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_women_childhealth_paediatr/734
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