Uncomplicated Nausea and Vomiting in the Emergency Department

Ondansetron 4 mg vs. 2 mg vs. Metoclopramide 10 mg for Nausea and Vomiting in the Emergency Department: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 4

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00778011

Enrollment

137

Registered

2008-10-23

Start date

2005-11-30

Completion date

2006-12-31

Last updated

2012-06-28

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Nausea, Vomiting

Keywords

Nausea, Vomiting, Ondansetron, Metoclopramide, Randomized, Double-Blind, nausea and vomiting in the emergency department

Brief summary

Nausea and vomiting is a common complaint in the emergency department. Treatment is important for many reasons. In addition to patient comfort, there are adverse effects secondary to vomiting such as dehydration, metabolic alkalosis, Mallory-Weiss tears, and aspiration. Two mediations common used for nausea in ED patients include Ondanesetron and Metoclopramide.

Detailed description

This study will compare Ondansetron 4 mg vs 2 mg vs Metoclopramide 10 mg to look for efficacy in nausea and vomiting treatment for patients in the ED with many different causes. We will also look for cost effectiveness as well, since Metoclopramide is much less expensive than Ondansetron, which is less expensive at lower doses. There is little research about nausea medication in the ED literature even though these medications are used frequently in the ED for many causes of nausea.

Interventions

DRUGOndansetron

dosage

DRUGMetoclopramide

10 mg IV

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Caregiver)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* 18 years or older with nausea and at least 1 episode vomiting in the last 12 hours presenting to the York Hospital Emergency Department

Exclusion criteria

* Patients known to have hypersensitivity to the drugs ondansetron or metoclopramide * gastrointestinal hemorrhage, mechanical obstruction or perforation * patients with pheochromocytoma * seizure disorder * patients receiving other drugs which are likely to cause extrapyramidal reactions such as butapherones and phenothiazines * patients experiencing hyperemesis gravidum * patients unable to understand the informed consent (intoxicated, Spanish speaking) * prior antiemetics within 12 hours * inability to perform visual analog scale * renal dialysis

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
To delineate whether a high vs low dose of Ondansetron in better as opposed to an alternate medication -- Metoclopramide in the ED setting for uncomplicated nausea and vomiting.	30 minutes

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026