Abdominal pain Flashcards
How does the patient describe her symptoms?
Bad abdominal pain Started last night Slowly getting worse Slept terribly Sharp Middle and top of tummy Laughing makes it worse Sudden onset Nothing like this before Stomach pain on and off for a year but not as bad as this Gets worse when she eats well Nausea - vomited once Tenderness in the right upper quadrant
Does the patient have any health problems?
Borderline diabetes
Should loose weight and eat better
What is found in the lifestyle history?
Works in a bank
Glass of wine most nights
3-4 bottles a week
What is the doctors plan of action?
Examine
Run bloods
Painkiller
Explain what’s going on
What does acute abdomen refer to?
Rapid onset of severe symptoms that may indicate potentially life-threatening intra-abdominal pathology
In who can pain free acute abdomen occur in?
older people
children
immunocompromised
last trimester of pregnancy
What are some feature of acute abdominal pain?
Be located in any quadrant of the abdomen
Be intermittent, sharp or dull, achy, or piercing
Radiate from a focal site
Be accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
What should immediate assessment focus on?
Distinguishing patients with true acute abdomen that requires urgent surgical intervention from patients who can initially be managed conservatively
How is acute abdomen diagnosed?
History Physical examination Radiography Laboratory results OR Diagnostic laparoscopy
In what can a laparoscopy be used therapeutically?
appendicitis, cholecystitis, lysis of adhesions, hernia repair, and many gynaecological causes of an acute abdomen.
What can help stratify the risk of appendicitis in patients presenting with acute abdominal pain?
The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response (AIR) score
The Pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator (pARC)
What is discourage in undiagnosed patients with acute abdomen?
Use of narcotic analgesia
because of concerns that symptoms would be masked, the examination hindered, and, therefore, the correct diagnosis missed
Why can diagnosis be delayed in older people?
More co-morbidities
Dementia (issues communicating issues)
PNS dysfunction can alter perception of pain and temperature
Why can diagnosis be delayed in pregnant women?
Enlargement of uterus displaces and compresses abdo organs
Physiological leukocytosis
Hesitancy to conduct radiographs
What are common differentials for acute abdomen?
Adhesions
Incarcerated/strangulated hernia
Cholecystitis
Gastric ulcer
What are uncommon differentials for acute abdomen?
Volvulus
Intussusception
Duodenal ulcer
Ruptured ovarian cyst
What are the abdo causes of acute abdo (from common to less)?
Intestinal obstruction Peritonitis secondary to infection Haemorrhage Ischaemia Contamination by gastrointestinal contents
What can cause abdominal haemorrhage?
ectopic pregnancy, ruptured aortic aneurysm
What can cause abdominal ischaemia?
ovarian torsion, mesenteric ischaemia
What processes can lead to contamination by GI contents?
perforated duodenal or gastric ulcer
What causes obstructions?
Adhesions Hernia incarcerations Volvulus Gallstones Intussusception IBD Neoplasm Congenital abnormalities
What can cause inflammation?
cholecystitis appendicitis acute pancreatitis acute diverticulitis Meckel diverticulitis UC Crohn's
What should happen in females of child bearing age with acute abdomen?
should always have a pregnancy test to rule out ectopic pregnancy
What are gynae causes of acute abdomen?
ruptured ovarian cyst, ovarian torsion, pelvic inflammatory disease, and endometriosis
What does Budd-Chiari syndrome involve?
Hepatic venous outflow obstruction and the abdominal pain may present with hepatomegaly and ascites
What can cause an abdominal wall haematoma?
Spontaneous Trauma Exercise Coughing Procedure
What are some abdominal infective diseases?
hepatic abscess or hepatitis
gastroenteritis, infectious colitis, typhlitis
What is Fitz-Hugh Curtis syndrome?
a complication of pelvic inflammatory disease, comprises right upper quadrant abdominal pain associated with perihepatitis
What are the metabolic causes of acute abdomen?
Uraemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, Addisonian crisis, and hypercalcaemia
Inherited -
acute intermittent porphyria and hereditary Mediterranean fever.
What are the toxic causes of acute abdomen?
Heavy metal poisoning
Narcotic withdrawal
What are the urological causes of acute abdomen?
Testicular torsion
Kidney stones
Pyelonephritis
What should be done while awaiting the results of lab tests?
Surgical consult
IV access
Vitals monitored and corrected
When should surgery be conducted with limited pre-op eval?
In patients exhibiting evidence of hypovolaemic shock with a known or suspected haemoperitoneum
What must be done if there is a potential haemorrhage?
Two large-bore IV lines
Typing and cross-matching
Fluid resus (2L isotonic)
Antifibrinolyitc? Tranexamic acid?
What is BP goal for AAA or aortic dissection?
Systolic 80-90
What can excess fluid replacement cause?
cause dilutional and hypothermic coagulopathy
lowers blood viscosity
increased perfusion pressure from the expanded volume can lead to secondary clot disruption
What should be done if a perforation, diverticulitis or appendicitis is suspected?
Broad-spec AB
As can lead to sepsis
Urinalysis and culture samples ideally done before
In who should you consider mesenteric ischaemia?
Pain disproportionate to the signs Older Smoking PVD AF
What is required for mesenteric ischaemia treatment?
Oxygen
Fluid
Empirical AB
Surgical and radiological consult
What are the key components in the history?
Time and onset
Previous instances of similar pain
What indicated acute appendicitis?
Sudden-onset umbilical pain radiating to right iliac fossa
What is suggestive of a gastric ulcer?
Long-term epigastric pain
sudden worsening may indicate perforation of the ulcer
What may indicate oesophageal perforation?
Sudden epigastric pain following vomiting
Epigastric pain?
Gastric ulcer Pancreatitis Perforated oesophagus Mallory-Weiss tear MI