What type of emesis occurs in pyloric stenosis?

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From the Research

Type of Emesis in Pyloric Stenosis

  • The type of emesis that occurs in pyloric stenosis is nonbilious, projectile vomiting 1, 2, 3.
  • This is a characteristic symptom of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS), which is the most common surgical cause of nonbilious, projectile vomiting in children 1.
  • The emesis is typically nonbilious, meaning it does not contain bile, and is projectile, meaning it is forcefully ejected from the mouth 2, 3.
  • In some cases, the vomiting may be accompanied by other symptoms such as a palpable pyloric tumor, visible gastric peristaltic waves, and hypochloremic, hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis 4.
  • It is worth noting that while nonbilious, projectile vomiting is a classic symptom of pyloric stenosis, some patients may present with atypical symptoms, such as bilious vomiting or vomiting that is not projectile 5, 4.

References

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