Your Child Threw Up Their Medication – Should You Redose? Doctor Explains

To be honest, kids don't like medications. The reason? Sometimes it's the taste of the medicine or its smell, which induces emesis or a nauseating feeling. Emesis can also be triggered when a child has a poor swallowing mechanism due to an underlying cause. In any case, vomiting the medication not only reduces the amount of the drug absorbed into the body, potentially lowering its effectiveness, but also creates a fear of taking medicine in the future.

When your child vomits after taking oral medication, determining whether to redose or not can be a challenging task. Dr. Pawan Mandaviya, a consultant pediatrician and newborn specialist at Kiran Multispecialty Hospital, Surat, posted on Instagram to guide parents on how to manage emesis after taking medicine and when to redose the drug.

Understanding Vomiting and Its Impact on Medication Absorption

Vomiting is a complex physiological response that involves the expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth. It can be triggered by various factors, such as the bitter taste or smell of the medication, side effects of the medicine, or any gastrointestinal disturbance. This can be especially challenging for parents, as the medication needs to be effective, and vomiting the drug itself can compromise its absorption.

There are several factors which determine whether you can give another dose of the medication to your child:

• Timing of between ingestion and vomiting

• Type and dosage of the medication

• Child's health and age

Dr. Pawan Mandaviya, on his Instagram page (@drpawan_clinic), explains in detail whether redosing the medication is effective when a child vomits. He emphasizes that the timing of ingestion and vomiting is crucial in determining this.

"If your child vomits within 7 minutes of taking the medication, then it would be effective to give another dose of the drug. But if he/she vomits after 7 minutes, providing a redose can potentially lead to an overdose," says Dr. Pawan.

If the child vomits within 7 minutes, it is considered that the drug has not been properly absorbed into the body, so a redose of the medication is recommended. Studies have shown that the timeline for redosing medication is 60 minutes, but the maximum absorption of the drug by the body occurs within 7 minutes of ingestion. ^[1] Therefore, giving another dose without considering the timeline could prove fatal if not monitored.

"Vomiting is a common phenomenon in children while taking medication," says Dr. Pawan. "Parents should be mindful of giving a redose of a medication and consider it only if the child vomits within 1 hour of taking the medication. A redose after 1 hour proves to be ineffective and can lead to overdosing, which may cause complications in the child."

He also emphasizes that if the child vomits after a second dose of the drug, parents should immediately consult a pediatrician before administering another dose.

Reference:

1. Kendrick JG, Ma K, DeZorzi P, Hamilton D. Vomiting of Oral Medications by Pediatric Patients: Survey of Medication Redosing Practices. The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy. 2012 Jun 21;65(3).

By Sreepriya Pai