High fever and vomiting

Gastroenteritis and food poisoning commonly cause vomiting with fever, sometimes alongside diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Rotavirus infection is another possibility, particularly in children. Migraine can cause vomiting with headache and light sensitivity, while gallstones or pancreatitis may cause strong upper abdominal pain. Meningitis may include fever and vomiting with headache, neck stiffness, light sensitivity, confusion, or a rash.

Vomiting can prevent the body from keeping down water, oral rehydration fluid, or medicines. The cause cannot be identified from fever and vomiting alone; age, pain, bowel symptoms, exposure history, and examination guide the decision.

Take small, frequent sips of water or an oral rehydration solution rather than drinking a large amount at once. After vomiting settles, try bland foods in small portions and continue breastfeeding if applicable. Rest, monitor urine output and alertness, and record the temperature. Avoid alcohol and unprescribed anti-vomiting or antibiotic medicines. Follow local advice for fever medicine and check the label to avoid duplicate ingredients.

Seek urgent help for confusion, fainting, severe dehydration, blood or coffee-ground material in vomit, green vomit, severe or worsening abdominal pain, a stiff neck, breathing difficulty, or a rash that does not fade when pressed. Same-day advice is needed when fluids will not stay down, urine becomes very infrequent, or the person is very young, older, pregnant, or living with a serious medical condition.

How can dehydration be assessed, and which fluids are suitable? Could the pain pattern suggest gallstones, pancreatitis, or another cause? Which medicines can be taken safely, and when should testing or review happen?