Preventing and alleviating patients' symptoms of nausea and vomiting while in the care of the ambulance service - a qualitative study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to describe the ambulance personnel's experiences of preventing and alleviating patients' symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

BACKGROUND: Nausea is a common symptom in patients taken care of by the ambulance service. It is a complex subjective phenomenon and can cause several different illnesses. The ambulance personnel have an important assignment in preventing and alleviating nausea through early interventions.

METHOD: A descriptive and qualitative design including 16 semi-structured interviews and content analysis was used.

RESULTS: One main category was identified: Adjusting care and medical treatment based on the individual patient's needs. By adjusting the care and medical treatment based on patients' individual needs and previous experience, the ambulance personnel experienced a possible relief of the patients' suffering caused by nausea and vomiting. In addition to the known multitude of underlying pathologies of nausea, the way of driving and the environment in the ambulances also may have an impact on the patients' nausea.

CONCLUSION: A variety of nursing interventions and medical treatments are reported to be used to alleviate nausea for patients cared for by the ambulance service, but further research is needed to evaluate if and how the interventions have an effect on the patients' experiences. The findings in our study can be used when developing guidelines on how to care for patients suffering nausea and vomiting.