Effect of Antiemetic Timing on Nausea Severity and Patient Comfort in the Emergency Department (ANTI-ED)

The Effect of Antiemetic Timing on Nausea Severity and Patient Comfort in the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Interventional Study

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Nausea; Emergency Department Patients
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Antiemetic Timing

Detailed Description

Nausea is a frequently encountered symptom in emergency department (ED) patients and is associated with decreased patient comfort, prolonged ED stay, and reduced satisfaction with care. Timely management of nausea is essential for improving patient outcomes; however, there is limited evidence regarding the impact of antiemetic administration timing on symptom relief and patient comfort. This study is designed as a prospective, multicenter interventional study to evaluate the effect of antiemetic timing on nausea severity and patient comfort in adult ED patients.

Eligible participants will include adult patients presenting to the ED with nausea. Participants will be allocated into two groups based on the timing of antiemetic administration: early administration (within 30 minutes after triage) and delayed administration (after 30 minutes). Antiemetic agents will be administered according to standard clinical practice.

The primary outcome of the study is nausea severity, which will be measured using a validated numeric rating scale. Secondary outcomes include patient comfort levels and changes in nausea over time. Measurements will be obtained at baseline and at predefined time intervals following antiemetic administration.

This study aims to provide evidence on whether early administration of antiemetic therapy leads to improved symptom control and patient comfort compared to delayed administration. The results may inform clinical decision-making and contribute to the development of evidence-based protocols for nausea management in emergency settings.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 200
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34810
    • Istanbul Medipol University Hospital, Emergency Department

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 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

Exclusion Criteria:

• 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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Early Antiemetic Group; 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; 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.
Experimental: Delayed Antiemetic Group; 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; 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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
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 Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Comfort Level	Comfort level will be assessed using the General Comfort Questionnaire-Short Form. Measurements will be obtained at baseline (T0) and 60 minutes (Tpost60). Differences between groups will be analyzed.	Baseline (T0) and 60 minutes (Tpost60)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: muzeyyen ataseven
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Muzeyyen Ataseven, PhD,RN, Istanbul Medipol University, Faculty of Health Sciences

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 5, 2026
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 5, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): April 5, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 4, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 4, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 22, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Nausea; Emergency Department; Timing; Symptom Management; Antiemetic; Patient Comfort
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease Attributes; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Emergencies; Nausea
• Other Study ID Numbers: ED-ANTIMETIC-TIMING

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared due to privacy and ethical considerations. De-identified data may be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No