vomiting & abdominal pain associated with childhood URTI

Last reviewed 01/2018

Childhood upper respiratory tract infections can cause abdominal pain, particularly in the following scenarios:

• otitis media, pharyngitis or tonisillitis, where sometimes vomiting or abdominal pain may be the only identifiable symptoms
• mesenteric adenitis, secondary to an upper respiratory tract infection, which can be difficult to distinguish from more serious causes of abdominal pain.

It should go without saying that the cervical nodes, ears and throat of children should be examined if the pattern of illness is not obvious.