Children above the age of 5 in the UK can usually cope with viral gastroenteritis without needing medical input. They vomit a few times, move on to the diarrhoeal stage, get thirsty and a bit dehydrated and start drinking just as it all stops, thereby successfully rehydrating themselves and getting on with their lives. So if a vomiting 9 year old is brought to us by a parent who says they’ve been admitted 4 times before for iv fluids , it is probably worth taking a closer look. The shocked, prostrate child we saw in the ED this weekend (a re-presentation) may have cyclical vomiting. More information about this here. Early treatment with anti-emetics and benzodiazepines may help avoid the need for iv fluids.
Schematic representation of the four phases of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and their therapeutic goals. Fleisher et al. BMC Medicine 2005 3:20 doi:10.1186/1741-7015-3-20 Li BUK et al. North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition Consensus Statement on the Diagnosis and Management of Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 2008; 47 : 379–393 (full text, doses etc.)
Patient information: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cyclical-vomiting-syndrome/