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Meta-analysis: ondansetron for vomiting in acute gastroenteritis in children

H Szajewska1, D Gieruszczak-Białek, M Dylag

  • 1The Second Department of Pediatrics, The Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. hania@ipgate.pl

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics
|February 3, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Ondansetron may help stop vomiting in children with gastroenteritis shortly after administration and reduce the need for IV rehydration. However, evidence is insufficient to recommend its routine use in pediatric acute gastroenteritis.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Vomiting is a frequent symptom in pediatric acute gastroenteritis.
  • Current treatment strategies for vomiting in children with gastroenteritis lack consensus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of ondansetron compared to placebo or no intervention for treating vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis.
  • To assess ondansetron's impact on rehydration needs, hospitalization, and emergency department visits.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic review of randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted.
  • Electronic databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library were searched through August 2006.
  • Four RCTs involving 490 pediatric patients were included in the analysis.

Main Results:

  • Ondansetron significantly increased short-term vomiting cessation (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.5).
  • The drug significantly reduced the need for intravenous rehydration (RR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.7).
  • No significant differences were observed in hospitalization rates or return emergency department visits.

Conclusions:

  • Ondansetron demonstrates short-term benefits in reducing vomiting and the need for IV rehydration in children with acute gastroenteritis.
  • Insufficient evidence currently supports the routine recommendation of ondansetron for this indication in pediatric patients.
Abstract

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