What is the recommended treatment for a casualty with Gastro Intestinal Disturbance?

• A. Encourage casualty to lie down in the foetal position with their legs brought up to their chest
• B. Administer oxygen
• C. Promote recovery
• D. Keep NIL by mouth

Answer: (D)

The key idea here is protecting the airway and giving the gut a rest when vomiting or significant GI upset is present. Keeping the casualty nil by mouth prevents anything from entering the stomach that could be vomited or aspirated if vomiting recurs, reducing the risk of choking or inhaling stomach contents. It also avoids placing fluids or foods in the stomach that might worsen nausea or trigger further vomiting.

Oxygen is not routinely needed unless there’s trouble breathing or low oxygen levels, which isn’t a given with a simple GI disturbance. Forcing a specific position like the fetal position isn’t a standard action to treat GI distress, and “promote recovery” is too vague without concrete steps—airway protection and avoiding oral intake come first. Once vomiting has settled, careful reassessment is needed before any oral intake.