Effect of Antiemetic Timing on Nausea Severity and Patient Comfort in the Emergency Department

NCT07523230 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: ED-ANTIMETIC-TIMING
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 200
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Nausea is a common symptom among patients presenting to the emergency department and can negatively affect patient comfort and clinical outcomes. The timing of antiemetic administration may play a critical role in symptom control; however, evidence regarding the optimal timing remains limited. This multicenter interventional study aims to evaluate the effect of early versus delayed antiemetic administration on nausea severity and patient comfort in adult emergency department patients. Participants will be assigned to receive antiemetic treatment either within the first 30 minutes after triage or after 30 minutes. Nausea severity will be assessed using a numeric rating scale, and patient comfort will be evaluated at predefined time points. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to improving symptom management and optimizing clinical practices in emergency care settings.

Conditions

Nausea; Emergency Department Patients

Keywords

Antiemetic; Nausea; Emergency Department; Timing; Patient Comfort; Symptom Management

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Nausea Severity

  Nausea severity will be assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-10). Measurements will be obtained at baseline (T0), 30 minutes (Tpost30), and 60 minutes (Tpost60). The primary outcome is the change in nausea severity over time between the early and delayed antiemetic groups.

  Baseline (T0), 30 minutes (Tpost30), and 60 minutes (Tpost60)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Comfort Level

  Baseline (T0) and 60 minutes (Tpost60)

Study Arms (2)

Early Antiemetic Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive routine antiemetic treatment within 30 minutes after triage (T0). Nausea severity is assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-10) at baseline (T0), 30 minutes (Tpost30), and 60 minutes (Tpost60). Comfort level is evaluated at baseline and 60 minutes using the General Comfort Questionnaire-Short Form.

Behavioral: Antiemetic Timing

Delayed Antiemetic Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive routine antiemetic treatment more than 30 minutes after triage (T0). Nausea severity is assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-10) at baseline (T0), 30 minutes (Tpost30), and 60 minutes (Tpost60). Comfort level is evaluated at baseline and 60 minutes using the General Comfort Questionnaire-Short Form.

Behavioral: Antiemetic Timing

Interventions

Antiemetic Timing BEHAVIORAL

The intervention consists of adjusting the timing of routine antiemetic administration in emergency department patients without altering the type or dosage of medication. Participants are assigned to receive antiemetics either within 30 minutes (early group) or after 30 minutes (delayed group) following triage (T0), in accordance with standard clinical care. Outcome measures include nausea severity assessed using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-10) at T0, Tpost30, and Tpost60, and comfort level assessed at T0 and Tpost60.

Delayed Antiemetic Group; Early Antiemetic Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age ≥18 years
• Presentation to the emergency department with nausea (with or without vomiting)
• Receiving antiemetic treatment
• Ability to communicate
• Ability to provide informed consent
• Ability to undergo nausea assessment using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) at initial evaluation

You may not qualify if:

• Altered level of consciousness (unconscious or confused)
• Intubated patients
• Severe psychiatric conditions (e.g., psychosis or delirium)
• Patients in critical condition requiring immediate resuscitation
• Hemodynamic instability
• Inability to communicate (including language barrier or severe hearing/speech impairment preventing scale application)
• Refusal to participate

Sponsors & Collaborators

• muzeyyen ataseven: lead

Study Sites (1)

Istanbul Medipol University Hospital, Emergency Department

Istanbul, 34810, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Nausea; Emergencies

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Disease Attributes; Pathologic Processes

Study Officials

• Muzeyyen Ataseven, PhD,RN

  Istanbul Medipol University, Faculty of Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Outcome assessors were blinded to group allocation to reduce assessment bias. Participants and care providers were aware of the intervention due to the nature of the study, as antiemetic timing could not be concealed.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD, RN, Assistant Professor

Model Details: The study is designed as a randomized parallel-group trial in which participants are assigned to either an early or delayed antiemetic administration group. The early group receives antiemetic treatment within 30 minutes of triage (T0), while the delayed group receives treatment after 30 minutes. Outcome measures include nausea severity assessed at baseline (T0), 30 minutes (Tpost30), and 60 minutes (Tpost60) using a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and comfort level assessed at baseline and 60 minutes using the General Comfort Questionnaire-Short Form.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 4, 2026
• First Posted: April 13, 2026
• Study Start: February 5, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 5, 2026
• Study Completion: April 5, 2026
• Last Updated: April 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)