Vomiting (after Infancy)

Abstract

The older child too has a tendency to vomit prior to onset of gastroenteritis or enteritis. The history of the patient involving such circumstances as a faulty diet or vomiting on the part of another member of the family, and the finding of a coated tongue or active bowel sounds on examination increase the suspicion of gastrointestinal disorders. If severe abdominal pain and high-pitched bowel sounds supervene, an acute abdomen (Chap. 4, Section 3) must be excluded. To rule out organic causes (esophageal stenoses, esophageal diverticula, achalasia, hiatal hernia, etc.) that manifest only occasionally after infancy, see Chap. 41, Sections 9 and 10, respectively, on vomiting in newborns and infants.