Call 911 when a child cannot breathe, has a stiff neck with fever, took a hard hit to the head or belly, is vomiting blood, or will not wake up. An alert child who can sip, and who looks like they have a stomach bug, can usually wait at home. This page names no drugs or doses.
Call 911 now
Call 911 if your child:
- Cannot breathe, is gasping, or looks blue
- Will not wake up or stay awake
- Has a seizure
- Has a stiff neck, a bad headache, and a fever
- Vomits after a hard hit to the head or belly
- Vomits blood or something that looks like coffee grounds
- Has a hard, swollen belly that is getting worse
- Has a severe allergic reaction
A routine stomach bug does not look like that. Most vomiting in kids is a virus that runs its course in a day or so.
Wait at home and watch
A stomach bug often means a few hours of vomiting, then a slow return to sips. Offer small sips of fluid. If it comes back up, wait a bit and try again. Watch wet diapers or bathroom trips. A child who is peeing and talking is far from a child who is limp. Skip food until the vomiting slows, then try bland bites. Do not give leftover antibiotics, adult nausea medicine, or a dose from a forum post. If a clinician has already given you a written plan for this child, follow it.
If your city offers TAP, this is when a text visit helps. A clinician can help you tell “stomach bug, keep watching” from “this needs an in-person look” without a drive. Text a doctor at taptelehealth.com/text-a-doctor. TAP currently serves Algonquin, Illinois; Chesterfield, Cheraw, Pageland, McBee, Jefferson, Mount Croghan, Patrick, and Ruby, South Carolina; and Crandall, Henderson, Ferris, Mabank, Paradise, and Troup, Texas, plus Texas Health Benefits Pool members.
Urgent care or the ER, not 911
Go in. Drive. Do not call an ambulance unless your child crashes. Go in if:
- Vomiting lasts more than a day, or no fluid stays down
- A high fever comes with the vomiting
- No wet diapers or bathroom trips for many hours
- Severe belly pain that keeps getting worse
- You are not sure, and your child looks worse each hour
Urgent care is for a same-day look, not a crisis. An emergency room is for a child who might need labs, IV fluids, or imaging. A telehealth visit cannot examine a rigid belly or give IV fluids. It can help you decide between waiting and going in while your child is still stable.
Nausea in adults in the same house
Adult nausea follows a similar split. Chest pain with vomiting is 911. Pregnancy with heavy bleeding or severe pain is 911. One queasy evening after a bad meal usually is not.
If your city has TAP, the same text line covers adults: taptelehealth.com/text-a-doctor. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988. For immediate danger, call 911.
