Management of vomiting in children and young people with gastroenteritis: ondansetron

About ondansetron

Ondansetron is an anti-sickness medicine. It works by stopping a chemical in the body called serotonin from making you feel sick.

Ondansetron is licensed in the UK to prevent or treat sickness caused by chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery in adults, and chemotherapy or surgery in children and young people. Ondansetron is not licensed to treat sickness in children and young people with gastroenteritis, therefore using it in this way is off-label.

Ondansetron can be given as a tablet (these can be tablets that need to be swallowed, or tablets that melt in the mouth called orodispersible tablets), as a liquid medicine taken by the mouth, as a suppository (for use in the back passage [rectum]), and by an injection.