Managing nausea in the hospitalised patient

Abstract

Nausea is an unpleasant sensation of needing to vomit, and there are numerous negative consequences for the patient if not effectively managed. The clinical signs of nausea can vary widely from subtle to severe and, currently, there is no validated nausea scale for cats and dogs. The management of nausea often requires a multimodal approach, including management of the underlying disease process and pharmacological approaches to minimise the unpleasant sensation. Registered veterinary nurses should have an understanding of the mechanisms of nausea, as this guides drug selection, and also of the pharmacology of each of the anti-nausea medications.