1) Duration of the symptoms and whether its getting
worse 2) Drugs including overcounter drugs
3)Headaches or others that raised INC.pressure
4)unusual foods, restaurants, travel 5)Hearing, balance
Examinations
1) general: overall appearance and presence of
pathology. State of hydration, particularly postural blood
pressure. 2) abdominal examination . usually
unrewarding but may reveal sign of intestinal obstruction
investigations
1) blood test 2)cortisol 3) chest x-ray 4)endoscopy 5)
small bowel imaging 6) CT or MRI scan of the head
Nota:
1) FBC, ESR and biochem, including renal and liver function, aodium , potassium and calcium, amylase
2)cortisol: short Synacthen test if hypoadrenalism is suspected
3)for in fection( including aspiration pneumonia), neoplasm
4)SBI, may be indicated in difficult cases to exclude occult subacute obstruction
5)CT or MRI last resort if other pathology not identified
Management
1) treat the underlying cause. 2) antiemetics:empirical treatment with this may needed if
mechanical obstruction has been excluded. Domperidone does not cross the blood-brain
barrier and is useful for long-term 'as needed' treatment. other agents (e.g.metoclopramide,
prochloperazine) are increasingly being replaced by centrally acting serotonin antagonists
(e.g.ondansetron)