Vomiting in adults : Triage

Vomiting, often accompanied by its precursor, nausea, is a common yet complex physiological response that involves the forceful expulsion of stomach contents through the mouth. This process, medically termed as emesis, can significantly affect an individual's health and well-being. While nausea creates an uncomfortable feeling of the need to vomit, not all nausea leads to vomiting. The body may also attempt to vomit without the presence of stomach contents, known as retching or "dry heaves," where there is a strong contraction of stomach and diaphragm muscles.

It's important to distinguish vomiting from similar phenomena such as regurgitation—where food moves back up from the stomach into the esophagus without the forceful expulsion seen in vomiting—and eructation, more commonly known as belching, which is the release of gas from the digestive tract through the mouth. While vomiting can serve as a protective mechanism to rid the body of ingested toxins or irritants, it can be triggered by a wide array of factors, ranging from gastrointestinal infections to central nervous system disorders, and involves a complex interplay between the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Understanding the triggers, mechanisms, and implications of vomiting is essential for effective management and treatment of this condition, which,...