Kids' Health Commonly Prescribed Drugs Why Zofran Is Prescribed for Kids With Nausea By Vincent Iannelli, MD Vincent Iannelli, MD Facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 05, 2021 Medically reviewed Verywell Health articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and healthcare professionals. These medical reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Jonathan B. Jassey, DO Medically reviewed by Jonathan B. Jassey, DO Facebook Jonathan Jassey, DO, is a board-certified private pediatrician at Bellmore Merrick Medical in Bellmore, New York. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Use for Stomach Flu Indications Warnings If your child was recently in the emergency room because he was vomiting and dehydrated, he may have been given a dose of Zofran (ondansetron). You may wonder why this drug that is used for nausea in cancer chemotherapy is used for children who have stomach flu. It has become very common in the emergency room setting for acute gastroenteritis (stomach flu). Verywell / Nusha Ashjaee Use of Zofran for Stomach Flu Although Zofran is only approved for preventing nausea and vomiting for patients about to undergo chemotherapy or surgery, many medications are given off-label for other conditions. In this case, there are many research studies that show that Zofran can be helpful for treating and preventing vomiting associated with acute gastroenteritis. A 2011 Cochrane review of studies concluded that oral ondansetron helped children and adolescents cease vomiting and reduced the need for intravenous rehydration and hospital admission. Symptoms of the Stomach Flu When Zofran Is Given to Children While many practitioners find Zofran helpful in the emergency room at preventing and treating vomiting from gastroenteritis, your pediatrician might not prescribe it on an outpatient basis. The current practice guidelines, including those from the American Academy of Pediatrics, don't recommend using medications to stop vomiting. There are no research studies supporting that it works in this situation as all of the studies have been done in an emergency room setting. If further research supports it, maybe doctors will use it more for kids with the stomach flu. Warnings for Phenergan and Zofran Phenergan (promethazine) is often used to control nausea and vomiting, but in 2006 the FDA recommended it not be used for children under age 2. This medication carries a risk of causing slowed or stopped breathing in babies and toddlers. In older children, Phenergan so often causes drowsiness that many pediatricians don't like to use it. Even if your child isn't vomiting, if he is too sleepy to drink when he has a stomach virus, then he or she will likely still become dehydrated. When to See Your Healthcare Provider for Nausea and Vomiting Zofran has its own warning, though, at least for higher dosages that were once for nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. This followed a study that found that a single 32-milligram dose might affect the heart's rhythm, leading to QT interval prolongation. This dose, however, is no longer available and is much higher than the 2 milligrams to 8 milligrams that children and teens typically are prescribed. 1 Source Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. FDA. Phenergan package insert. Additional Reading Practice Parameter: The Management of Acute Gastroenteritis in Young Children. American Academy of Pediatrics, Provisional Committee on Quality Improvement, Subcommittee on Acute Gastroenteritis. Pediatrics. 1996;97(3):424-35. Charbit B, Alvarez JC, Dasque E, Abe E, Démolis JL, Funck-brentano C. Droperidol and ondansetron-induced QT interval prolongation: A clinical drug interaction study. Anesthesiology. 2008;109(2):206-12. doi:10.1097/ALN.0b013e31817fd8c8. Cheng A. Emergency department use of oral ondansetron for acute gastroenteritis-related vomiting in infants and children. Paediatrics & Child Health. 2011;16(3):177-179. FDA. Phenergan Package Insert. FDA. Zofran Prescribing Information. Fedorowicz Z, Jagannath VA, Carter B. Antiemetics for reducing vomiting related to acute gastroenteritis in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. July 2011. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd005506.pub5 Freedman SB, Hall M, Shah SS, et al. Impact of increasing ondansetron use on clinical outcomes in children with gastroenteritis. JAMA Pediatrics. 2014;168(4):321. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.4906 Editorial Process Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit