Nausea and Vomiting

This condition is treated in the Gastroenterology clinic.

Pre-referral work-up

History

All referrals should comply to the referral standards and include in particular:

• Duration of symptoms
• Pattern and severity of symptoms especially if nocturnal vomiting
• Weight loss and appetite
• Current and recently ceased medications especially failed treatments
• Previous gastric surgery including laparoscopic banding
• Past history especially previous chemo or radiotherapy

Tests

Initial work up:

• FBE
• ESR and CRP
• Creatinine
• Electrolytes
• Calcium
• LFTs
• TFT
• Fasting glucose
• Urinalysis
• Pregnancy test
• Plain x-ray

Consider:

• Neurological assessment (raised intracranial pressure)
• Faeces MC&S

Interim/GP management

To refer a patient with this condition, please see the Gastroenterology clinic page for the full referral process and templates.

Prevention of dehydration.

For more information please see the HealthPathways Tasmania website.

Clinic appointments

🚩 Red location flags are clinical indicators of possible serious underlying conditions requiring further medical intervention. They may or may not indicate an emergency.

Emergency

🚩 Suspicion of bowel obstruction

🚩 Dehydration

🚩 Acutely unwell

Please contact Emergency Department Medical Officer in Charge via Royal Hobart Hospital Switchboard 03 6166 8308

If you, or someone else, are experiencing a serious and life-threatening injury or illness call triple zero (000) immediately or go to the nearest Emergency Department.

Learn more about when to access emergency care and non-emergency care options if the injury or illness is not serious or life-threatening.

Urgent (Category 1)

Presence of alarm symptoms:

🚩 Significant weight loss

🚩 Fever

Otherwise referral is treated as semi urgent

We will endeavour to see these patients within four weeks

Urgent referrals should be accompanied by a phone call to the clinic and the relevant doctor for urgent assessment, or patient should be directed immediately to the Emergency Department.

Semi-urgent (Category 2)

Other patients with ongoing nausea and vomiting

Availability

North

Launceston General Hospital
Level 3 - Specialist Clinics

Phone: 1300 977 694
Fax: 03 6777 5227

North West

All North West referrals are managed via  Mersey Community Hospital
Phone: 03 6478 5222
Fax: 03 6441 5942

South

Wellington Clinics (Level 10)
Phone: 03 6166 0000
Fax: 03 6234 3982