Vomiting has an extensive differential diagnosis, primarily categorized into gastrointestinal, central nervous system, metabolic, medication-related, and systemic causes. Acute causes often include gastroenteritis, food poisoning, appendicitis, and pregnancy. Chronic causes (lasting >4 weeks) include gastroparesis, chronic pancreatitis, or psychogenic issues.

What is a differential diagnosis of vomiting?

Differential Diagnosis

Because many conditions start with nausea and vomiting, the differential is expansive. Gastroenteritis, gallbladder disease, peptic ulcer disease, appendicitis, pancreatitis are routinely in the differential.

What is the differential diagnosis for abdominal pain and vomiting?

The differential diagnosis is broad, including infections, inflammatory processes, vascular occlusion, aortic dissection, bowel obstruction, undiagnosed tumors, or a ruptured viscous. Patients often present with sudden abdominal pain, sometimes accompanied by fever, nausea, vomiting, or distension.

What is the most common cause of abdominal pain and vomiting?

It may be due to food poisoning, an intestinal or gall bladder obstruction, an infection or inflammation. It could also be appendicitis, a kidney stone or peptic ulcer disease. In women abdominal pain can result from an ectopic pregnancy, an ovarian cyst, pelvic inflammatory disease or other female organ disorder.

What are the 5 F's of the abdomen?

Healthcare providers diagnose a distended abdomen in terms of the “five 'f's”: flatus (gas), fetus (pregnancy), feces (trapped poop), fluid (from several causes) or fat.

An Approach to Chronic Nausea and Vomiting

What tests are done for unexplained vomiting?

How is Nausea Diagnosed?

• Blood test. Blood tests can look for signs of infection, anemia, electrolyte abnormalities, kidney and liver issues, and evaluate your nutritional status.
• Urine test. A urinalysis can also screen for infections, irregularities, and other health conditions.
• Pregnancy test. ...
• Upper GI endoscopy.

What illness starts with vomiting?

Stomach infection from a stomach virus is the most common cause. Also called stomach flu. A common cause is the Rotavirus. The illness starts with vomiting.

What is persistent vomiting a symptom of?

Persistent vomiting is mentioned as a symptom of a large variety of systemic disorders including; obstruction, gastrointestinal disorders, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, metabolic and endocrine disorders, renal disorders, toxins, postoperation, and pregnancy.

What is the most common cause of vomiting in adults?

In most cases vomiting can be treated safely at home. The most common cause of nausea and vomiting is viral gastroenteritis, often called the stomach flu. Get emergency care if nausea or vomiting is accompanied by: Chest pain lasting more than a few minutes.

What is the workup for persistent vomiting?

Goals of blood tests are to help identify an underlying cause and assess consequences of vomiting. Basic laboratory testing includes a complete blood count, complete metabolic panel, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and in diabetics, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

What medications can cause vomiting?

Many drugs cause vomiting as a side effect, including opioids, chemotherapy agents, NSAIDs, some antibiotics (like erythromycin), antidepressants, cardiovascular drugs, Parkinson's medications, stimulants, and even cannabis (with Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome). Historically, Ipecac syrup was used to induce vomiting for poisoning but is no longer recommended, with current advice focusing on contacting poison control for medical guidance.
 

What are the three types of vomiting?

The three main types of emesis (vomiting), especially related to chemotherapy, are acute (within 24 hours of treatment), delayed (occurring more than 24 hours later, up to several days), and anticipatory (a conditioned response before treatment begins). Understanding these categories helps in managing this distressing side effect, with different antiemetic strategies needed for each type. 

What is your body telling you when you throw up?

Vomiting is the body's way of getting rid of harmful substances from the stomach, or it may be a reaction to something that has irritated the gut. One of the most common causes of vomiting in adults is gastroenteritis. This is an infection of the gut usually caused by bacteria or a virus.

Which blood test is done for vomiting?

CBC, which is mostly helpful to: Identify anemia (↓ red blood cell count), which in vomiting is a "red flag" for potentially more serious disease. Identify leucocytosis (↑ white blood cell count), which is non-specific but indicative of an inflammatory process (infectious, ischemic, or other inflammatory).

What medical condition makes you throw up?

Gastroenteritis. An infection of the digestive tract is one of the most common causes of nausea and sudden vomiting. Gastroenteritis is often caused by a virus, such as norovirus or rotavirus.

What health issues cause vomiting?

Nausea and vomiting may also be early warning signs of more serious medical problems, such as:

• Appendicitis.
• Blockage in the intestines.
• Cancer or a tumor.
• Ingesting a drug or poison, especially by children.
• Ulcers in the lining of the stomach or small intestine.

What are the symptoms of Enteroptosis?

The subjective symptoms of this disease are: Weakness and constant feeling of lassitude; diffi- culty in digestion of fats, farinaceous foods, acids, pure wine, pure milk, with an increase in the digestive troubles about three hours after meals; sleeplessness; usually constipation or irregularity of the bowels.

How to detect bowel problems?

Your doctor or nurse may offer you some blood tests as well as one or more of the following: Abdominal examination – looking at, listening to and feeling your tummy. Sigmoidoscopy – an examination using either a longer flexible telescope or a shorter, more rigid telescope.

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