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Acute Abdominal Pain
Aka: Acute Abdominal Pain, Acute Abdomen, Abdominal Pain
- See Also
- Acute Pelvic Pain
- Pediatric Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal Pain in Older Adults
- Definition
- Acute Abdominal Pain: Onset under 6 hours
- Epidemiology
- Abdominal Pain represents 5% of ER visits
- Only 10% of these evaluations require surgery
- Accounts for 10% of malpractice claims
- Pearls
- Use low threshold for admiting elderly for observation
- Most commonly missed surgical diagnoses
- Appendicitis
- Small Bowel Obstruction
- Specific Warning signs
- Low Back Pain in elderly
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
- Atrial Fibrillation and Abdominal Pain
- Mesenteric Ischemia
- Signs and symptoms: Findings suggestive of surgical Abdomen
- Duration of pain at presentation
- Severe, sudden onset pain under 1 hour
- High risk for intra-abdominal catastrophe
- Causes (especially in elderly)
- Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
- Mesenteric Ischemia
- Myocardial Infarction
- Perforated viscus
- Nephrolithiasis
- Pain duration under 48 hours: 18% need surgery
- Pain duration over 48 hours: 11% need surgery
- Delayed presentation in young and old
- Pain precedes Vomiting
- Appendicitis
- Cholecystitis
- Small Bowel Obstruction
- Fever >38 C (only when accompanied by another sign)
- Fever lags symptoms in elderly
- Tachycardia (Heart Rate exceeds 110 bpm)
- Leukocytosis with Neutrophils >75%
- Peritoneal signs
- Age over 65 years
- Signs and symptoms: Findings suggestive of non-surgical Abdomen
- Anorexia not present
- Differential Diagnosis
- See Acute Abdominal Pain Causes
- Evaluation
- See Acute Abdominal Pain Evaluation
- Labs and Diagnostic Studies
- See Acute Abdominal Pain Evaluation
- Imaging
- See Acute Abdominal Pain Evaluation
- Management: General
- Do not delay adequate analgesia
- Does not interfere with exam
- References
- Pace (1996) Acad Emerg Med 3:1086-92
- Thomas (2003) J Am Coll Surg 196:18-31
- Management: Surgery Consultation Indications
- Severe Abdominal Pain or progressive Abdominal Pain
- Vomit feculent or bile-stained
- Abdominal guarding or rigidity
- Abdominal rebound tenderness
- Abdominal distention and hypertympanic to percussion
- Significant traumatic injury to Abdomen
- Abdominal Pain of unclear etiology
- Intra-abdominal fluid accumulation
- References
- Graff (2001) Emerg Med Clin North Am 19:123-36