Hospital Admissions

If your primary care from your GP is very good and you are treated promptly with antiemetics you may avoid a hospital stay, but most women suffering with HG have to spend some time in hospital for IV (intravenous) fluids and antiemetics. Although it's not ideal to have to be away from the comforts of home, most women find that the relief they experience when they are rehydrated and given IV or IM (intramuscular) antiemetics is very welcome. It is also an opportunity to break a cycle of uncontrollable vomiting. After treatment, if you are able to tolerate oral medications, then this can be an opportunity to keep the illness under control and prevent another admission. 

There are tips for admission to help you avoid some of the more negative aspects of an in-patient stay at Tips for Admissions

Some women have experienced excellent treatment as in-patients when they have to be admitted for IV fluids, but care is patchy and can be sub-standard. A paper by Power et al published in 2010 reported results of a survey of women treated in the a large city hospital in the North of England and found some appalling attitudes of staff towards women suffering from HG which resulted in a poor standard of care for some of them. (See Power 2010 Understanding Stigma of HG). Advice for medical staff caring for women in hospital can be seen at Advice for Medical Staff. The notes describe what an HG sufferer would say to you if she could. It comes from the collective actual experience of women admitted to hospitals in the UK.