When to Call for Vomiting

Call 911 Now
(your child may need an ambulance) If:

	Unresponsive or difficult to awaken
	Not moving or too weak to stand

Call Your Doctor Now (night or day) If:

	Your child looks or acts very sick
	Confused (delerious)
	Stiff neck or bulging soft spot
	Headache
	You suspect poisoning with a plant, medicine, or other chemical
	Signs of dehydration (e.g. very dry mouth, no tears and no urine in 8 hours)
	Blood in the vomit that's not from a nosebleed
	Bile (yellow or green) in the vomit
	Abdominal pain is also present (EXCEPTION: abdominal pain or crying just before and improved by vomiting is quite common)
	Fever > 105° F (40.6° C)
	Age < 12 weeks old with fever > 100.4° F (38° C) rectally
	Age < 12 weeks with vomiting 2 or more times (EXCEPTION: spitting up)
	Age < 12 months old who has vomited Pedialyte (or other brand of ORS) 3 or more times and also has watery diarrhea
	Receiving Pedialyte (or clear fluids if age > 1 year) and vomits everything > 8 hours
	High-risk child (e.g. diabetes mellitus, abdominal injury, head injury)
	Vomiting an essential medicine

Call Your Doctor Within 24 Hours
(between 9 am and 4 pm) If:

	You think your child needs to be seen
	Has vomited > 24 hours
	Fever present > 3 days

Call Your Doctor During Weekday Office Hours If:

	You have other questions or concerns
	Vomiting is a recurrent ongoing problem

Parent Care at Home If:

Mild vomiting (probably viral gastritis) and you don’t think your child needs to be seen

Last reviewed: 8/2005
Last revised: 8/2005