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Thursday 18 April 2024

Peer Reviewed

Gastroenterology clinic

Nausea: think outside the gut

Robert Gibson, Anne Duggan

Recent articles on:
Nausea and vomiting

The vomiting child. Considerations and red flag symptoms

Chronic nausea: investigation and management

Investigation of nausea. How far to go before referral

Nausea: think outside the gut

Investigating adults with recurrent nausea and vomiting

Recent articles on:
Digestive diseases

Dysphagia – an updated guide to investigation

Anal disorders – haemorrhoids, abscesses and fissures

Coeliac disease – optimising long-term management

Irritable bowel syndrome: an update on diagnosis and management

Is heartburn always reflux? An update on gastro-oesophageal reflux

Abstract

Although nausea is a symptom of primary gastrointestinal disease, there are many other causes. Here, these authors outline their approach to nausea.

Key Points

Remember

Nausea is a nonspecific symptom of extremely diverse aetiology.
The chemoreceptor trigger zone in the medulla is sensitive to drugs, toxins and neurotransmitters, and the nucleus tractus solitarius, also in the medulla, is sensitive to visceral afferents. Projections from the medulla to the limbic, hypothalamic and cortical regions of the CNS allow for perception of nausea.