5 Acute Abdomen Flashcards
______ is the leading cause of ER visits and hospital admissions
Abdominal pain - 35%
Up to 30% of patients with acute abdominal pain will be discharged with…
No specific diagnosis
What are the life-threatening DDx you must R/O for abdominal pain?
AAA or dissection GI perforation Incarcerated hernia Acute bowel obstruction Mesenteric ischemia Ectopic pregnancy Placental abruption Splenic rupture
Top 10 Dx in patients with abdominal pain in the ER
Appendicitis Biliary tract disease SBO GYN disease Pancreatitis Renal colic Perforated ulcer Cancer Diverticular disease Non-specific abd pain
Red flags in Patient Hx for acute abdominal pain
Age >65 Alcoholism Immunocompromised CVD Comorbidities Prior surgery Recent GI instrumentation Early pregnancy
Pain characteristics that are RED FLAGS in abdominal pain pt
Acute onset
Significant pain at onset
Pain followed by emesis
Constant pain for <2 days
PE RED FLAGS for abdominal pain
Rigid abdomen
Signs of shock
Involuntary guarding
Where does pain refer to:
Gallbladder disease
Right subscapular area
Where does pain refer to:
Perforated duodenal ulcer
Shoulders
Where does pain refer to:
Urethral obstruction
Testicles
Where does pain refer to:
MI
Epigastric area, jaw, neck, upper extremity
Where does pain refer to:
GYN
Low back
Describe visceral pain
Dull, aching, colicky
Poorly localized
Distention, ischemia, inflammation, or spasm of a hollow organ
Describe parietal pain
Sharp
Well localized
Peritoneal irritation, ischemia, inflammation/stretching of parietal peritoneum
Things that can present with abrupt, excruciating abdominal pain
Biliary colic Ureteral colic MI Perforated ulcer Ruptured aneurysm
Things that can present with rapid onset of severe constant abdominal pain
Acute pancreatitis
Mesenteric thrombosis
Strangulated bowel
Ectopic pregnancy
Things that can present with gradual, steady abdominal pain
Acute cholecystitis Acute cholangitis Acute hepatitis Appendicitis Acute salpingitis Diverticulitis
Things that can present with intermittent, colicky pain, crescendo with free intervals
Early pancreatitis (rare) Small bowel obstruction IBD
What aggravating/alleviating factors must you ask about when taking an abdominal pain Hx?
BM
Eating
Antacid use
Exertion
Why must we ask about prior abdominal surgery?
B/c they can develop adhesions —> small bowel obstruction
Meds you want to make sure you ask about in Patient Hx for abdominal pain
Bleeding risk
Pain meds (can mask acute pain)
Pepto-bismol (can make stool black)
What does patient movement/lack of movement tell us with regards to abdominal pain?
Restless patient who can’t sit still - more likely to be something like renal colic
Patient lying perfectly still/supine - more likely peritonitis (b/c movement —> excruciating pain)
What must you remember to do in all patients with lower quadrant/hypogastric pain?
Testicular exam/pelvic exam and rectal exam
Marker of tissue hypoxia
Lactic acid - order if worried about organ ischemia
What Dx do you need to request an urgent surgical referral for?
Obstruction Perforation Peritonitis Ischemic bowel Dissection
Rapid symptom evolution (inc tenderness/rigidity, pain is severe/out of proportion)
Causes of perforation of the GI tract
Spontaneous due to inflammatory changes (gallbladder, appendix)
Bowel obstruction
Trauma
Instrumentation
Clinical manifestation of perforation
Depends on organ affected
Air
Stool
Succus entericus (specific to pancreas)
Why is succus entericus so bad
Perforation of pancreas, releases various enzymes (lipase, lactase, amylase) and mucus to blood —> extremely damaging to tissue
GI perforations are more common in what age groups?
> 50 years or <10 years
How will the pain change if the inflammed organ perforates?
More diffuse pain after localized tenderness
Pain may be relieved, followed by peritonitis
Peritonitis occurs after _____ and will likely include what SSx
After perforation
High fever
May lead to sepsis/death
Localized = contained by surrounding viscera/omentum
Generalized = gross spillage into peritoneal cavity
When to suspect Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis vs secondary bacterial peritonitis
In patients with ascites, liver cirrhosis, fever, AMS, abdominal pain +/- hypotension (ALCOHOLICS)
How do you treat Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis?
Perform paracentesis but NO EXPLORATORY LAPAROTOMY
Mortality rate is 80% if laparotomy is attempted
Treat with Cefotaxime
When should you suspect secondary bacterial peritonitis?
Patients with possible perforation (peptic ulcer, appendicitis) with ascites, fever, AMS, abdominal pain +/- hypotension
How do you treat Secondary bacterial peritonitis
Perform paracentesis
MUST perform exploratory laparotomy - mortality rate of 100% if you don’t
Treat with Cefotaxime
Acute cholecystitis is usually associated with _________ that is usually related to __________
Gallbladder inflammation
Gallstone disease
Most common surgical emergency in the elderly
Acute cholecystitis (b/c they don’t feel as much pain)
How does acute cholecystitis present?
Severe, constant RUQ pain, typically >6h
Can radiate to epigastric area and right shoulder
N/V, increased pain with FATTY FOOD INTAKE
Guarding, RUQ pain with palpation
+ Murphy’s sign
Ill appearing, tend to lie still
Tachycardia
How will acute cholecystitis appear on labs/imaging?
Leukocytosis with bands
Elevated CRP
Normal LFTs and bilirubin (b/c only gallbladder affected)
RUQ U/S: gallbladder wall thickening, gallstones or sludge, pericholecystic fluid
How do you manage acute cholecystitis?
IV fluids, analgesia
NPO
Abx (Ceftriaxone, cefuroxime)
Surgical consult —> cholecystectomy
What is a non-operative option for acute cholecystitis?
Percutaneous Drainage
For unstable patients
Saves surgery until patient is more stable
Radiologic guidance necessary
Presence of gallstones within the common bile duct
Acute choledocholithiasis
Not just the cystic duct - so both liver and gallbladder effected
Most common cause of acute choledocholithiasis
Secondary to passage of stones from gallbladder to common bile duct
Primary is much less common (refers to formation of stones within the common bile duct itself)
In what patients might primary choledocholithiasis occur?
CF patients
How does choledocholithiasis present
RUQ/epigastric pain
Palpable gallbladder (Courvoiseier’s sign - edema of gallbladder)
+/- jaudice
Elevated LFTs (vs no in cholecystitis…)
Test of choice for acute choledocholithiasis
Transabdominal U/S for presence of stones in gallbladder/common bile duct
Treatment for choledocholithiasis
Consult Surgery, GI
High risk patients: ERCP (85-90% success rate) to remove stone via endoscopy followed by elective cholecystectomy
Low risk patients: cholecystectomy
Complications of choledocholithiasis include…
Acute pancreatitis and acute cholangitis