Impact of Ondansetron Prescription on Return Emergency Department Visits Among Children with Acute Gastroenteritis
Abstract
Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine if providing ondansetron prescription to children with acute gastroenteritis seen in the emergency department (ED) is associated with reduced unscheduled ED revisits. Methods This was a retrospective comparative cohort study conducted in a tertiary urban pediatric ED. We evaluated otherwise healthy children 6 months to 18 years old who presented to the ED between 2010 and 2015 and were discharged home with acute gastroenteritis diagnosis. Illness severity was determined using dehydration score, emergency severity index, and presenting symptoms. The incidence of unscheduled 72-hour ED revisit among patients discharged home with ondansetron prescription was compared with those without a prescription. Results Of the 11,785 eligible patients, 35.5% (N = 4,187) of patients were discharged home with ondansetron prescription. After adjustment for emergency severity index, age, insurance source, race, time of index visit registration, intravenous fluid use, and ED–administered ondansetron, there were no differences in the rates of ED revisit (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.12 [0.92, 1.33]) or admission after ED revisit (aOR = 0.81 [0.51, 1.27]) among children with versus without ondansetron prescription. No difference was found in the proportion of alternative diagnoses among returning patients with versus without ondansetron prescription (aOR = 0.56 [0.20, 1.59]).…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 11,785 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Patient-Centered Pharmaceutical Design to Improve Acceptability of Medicines: Similarities and Differences in Paediatric and Geriatric Populations
- Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for irritable bowel syndrome 2020
- Phase 2b Study of Pimodivir (JNJ-63623872) as Monotherapy or in Combination With Oseltamivir for Treatment of Acute Uncomplicated Seasonal Influenza A: TOPAZ Trial
- Gastrointestinal manifestations in COVID-19
- COVID-19 and Gastrointestinal Disease: Implications for the Gastroenterologist
- Persistent gut barrier damage and commensal bacterial influx following eradication of Giardia infection in mice
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.