Post-Discharge Ondansetron for Children with Gastroenteritis
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Reviewed & Translated by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
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Posted on August 8th, 2025
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Ondansetron is a 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonist that is frequently used to suppress nausea in children hospitalized due to acute gastroenteritis. The value of post-discharged ondansetron usage is unclear. As a result, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded a study to evaluate the effect of after-discharged benefit of ondansetron.
The clinical study included 1030 children with an average age of 47.5 months who had been admitted to an emergency department due to acute gastroenteritis. The patients had experienced at least 3 vomiting episodes in the past 24 hours, accompanied with diarrhea. After being discharged from the hospital, the participants were given either placebo or ondansetron. After 7 days of treatment, the researchers found that ondansetron reduces the risk of moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis, as measured by the Vesikari scale. However, there was no significant difference in the duration and number of vomiting episodes. Additionally, ondansetron did not reduce the risk of rehospitalization and intravenous fluid administration. The researchers noted that there was no significant increase in arrhythmia in patients treated with ondansetron.
The clinical study included 1030 children with an average age of 47.5 months who had been admitted to an emergency department due to acute gastroenteritis. The patients had experienced at least 3 vomiting episodes in the past 24 hours, accompanied with diarrhea. After being discharged from the hospital, the participants were given either placebo or ondansetron. After 7 days of treatment, the researchers found that ondansetron reduces the risk of moderate-to-severe gastroenteritis, as measured by the Vesikari scale. However, there was no significant difference in the duration and number of vomiting episodes. Additionally, ondansetron did not reduce the risk of rehospitalization and intravenous fluid administration. The researchers noted that there was no significant increase in arrhythmia in patients treated with ondansetron.