title: Antiemetic medications in children with presumed infectious gastroenteritis--pharmacoepidemiology in Europe and Northern America.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prescription pattern of antiemetic medications in 0- to 9-year-old children with infectious gastroenteritis in several industrialized countries during 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively retrieved data from 4 national and international databases (IMS MIDAS, IMS disease analyzer, WIdO databases).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 2% and 23% of children with gastroenteritis (International Classification of Diseases code A08.X or A09) received prescriptions for antiemetic medications (United States, 23%; 95% CI, 15-31; Germany, 17%; 95% CI, 15-20; France, 17%; 95% CI, 14-19; Spain, 15%; 95% CI, 10-19; Italy, 11%; 95% CI, 7-16; Canada, 3%; 95% CI, 0-16; United Kingdom, 2%; 95% CI, 1-2). The antihistamines dimenhydrinate and diphenhydramine were most frequently used in Germany and Canada, whereas promethazine was prescribed preferentially in the United States. In France, Spain, and Italy, the dopamine receptor antagonist domperidone was preferred as antiemetic treatment. Ondansetron was used in a minor proportion of antiemetic prescriptions (Germany, Canada, Spain, and Italy, 0%; United States, 3%; United Kingdom, 6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antiemetic drugs are frequently used in children with gastroenteritis. In different industrialized countries, prescription of antiemetic medication varies considerably. Ondansetron, the only drug with evidence-based antiemetic efficacy, plays a minor role among antiemetic prescriptions.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pfeil
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Uhlig
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kostev
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carius
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Wieland
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kiess
authors.forename: Holm H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Uhlig
mesh_terms: D000932:Antiemetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004111:Dimenhydrinate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004155:Diphenhydramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004294:Domperidone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009656:North America; D017294:Ondansetron / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017891:Pharmacoepidemiology / Q000379:methods*; D011398:Promethazine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000932:Antiemetics; D017294:Ondansetron; D004294:Domperidone; D004155:Diphenhydramine; D011398:Promethazine; D004111:Dimenhydrinate