Okuzeka
Nursing vocabulary · Patient Assessment

Throw up

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˌθroʊ ˈʌp/phrasal verbCore term

In nursing, throw up means: An informal way of saying 'vomit': to bring food or liquid back up from the stomach and out through the mouth.

In Turkish: kusmak, çıkarmak, istifra etmek

How it is used

Patients and families say 'throw up', 'be sick' (UK) or very informally 'puke'; nurses write 'vomited' or 'emesis' in the notes. Useful questions: 'Have you thrown up today?', 'Do you feel like you're going to be sick?' In British English 'feel sick' means to feel nausea.

Example sentences

  1. My dad has been throwing up all morning and can't keep anything down.

  2. Tell me if you feel like throwing up again and I'll bring you a bowl.

Common collocations

  • throw up blood
  • feel like throwing up
  • keep throwing up
  • dehydratedHaving lost more water than the body has taken in, so that it does not have enough fluid to work normally.
  • fluid balanceThe difference between all the fluid a patient takes in (drinks, drips, feeds) and all the fluid they lose (urine, vomit, drains) over a set time.
  • side effectAn effect of a medicine or treatment that is not the main reason it was given, often unwanted, such as nausea or drowsiness.
  • assessmentA careful, organised check of a patient's physical and mental condition and needs, used to plan and adjust their nursing care.

More terms: Patient Assessment

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.