Acute Abdomen

Question 1

What are causes of RUQ abdominal pain requiring surgery?

Answer 1

Cholecystitis.
Retrocecal appendicitis.
Appendicitis in a pregnant woman.
Perforated duodenal ulcer.
Hepatic abscess.

Question 2

What are causes of RLQ abdominal pain requiring surgery?

Answer 2

Appendicitis.
Cecal diverticulitis.
Meckel’s diverticulitis.

Question 3

What are causes of LLQ abdominal pain requiring surgery?

Answer 3

Sigmoid diverticulitis.

Volvulus.

Question 4

What are causes of LUQ abdominal pain requiring surgery?

Answer 4

Splenic rupture.

Splenic abscess.

Question 5

What are causes of diffuse abdominal pain requiring surgery?

Answer 5

Bowel obstruction.
Mesenteric ischemia.
Leaking AAA.

Question 6

What are causes of RUQ abdominal pain NOT requiring surgery?

Answer 6

RLL pneumonia.
Biliary colic.
Cholangitis.
Hepatitis.
Fitz-Hugh-Curtis syndrome.

Question 7

What are causes of midepigastric abdominal pain NOT requiring surgery?

Answer 7

PUD (non perforated).
MI.
Esophagitis.
PE.
Pancreatitis.
Herpes zoster.
Rectus sheath hematoma.

Question 8

What are causes of RLQ or LLQ abdominal pain NOT requiring surgery?

Answer 8

Ureteral calculi.
Regional enteritis.
IBD.
PID.
Endometriosis.
Prostatitis.
Mittelschmerz.
UTI.
Ruptured ovarian cyst.

Question 9

What are causes of LUQ abdominal pain NOT requiring surgery?

Answer 9

LLL pneumonia.
Gastritis.
Splenomegaly.
Splenic infarct.

Question 10

What are causes of diffuse abdominal pain NOT requiring surgery?

Answer 10

Abdominal wall hematoma.
Black widow spider envenomation.
Lead poisoning.
Addisonian crisis.
Sickle cell crisis.
DKA.
Diabetic gastropathy
Opiate withdrawal.
Hemorrhagic dengue fever.
Nerve root compression.

Question 11

What are causes of periumbilical abdominal pain requiring surgery?

Answer 11

Early appendicitis.

Referred pain from small bowel perforation.

Question 12

What are causes of suprapubic abdominal pain requiring surgery?

Answer 12

Ectopic pregnancy.
Ovarian torsion.
TOA.
Psoas abscess.
Incarcerated groin hernia.

Question 13

What is an acute abdomen?

Answer 13

Abdominal pain accompanied by 1 or more peritoneal signs:
Rigidity.
Tenderness (w/ or w/o rebound).
Involuntary guarding.

Question 14

What is the hallmark of pain in mesenteric ischemia?

Answer 14

Out of proportion to physical findings.

Question 15

What diagnoses are associated to radiation of abdominal pain to the epigastrium?

Answer 15

Biliary tract pain.
Small bowel pain.
Pancreas pain.

Question 16

What diagnoses are associated to radiation of abdominal pain to the right shoulder?

Answer 16

Biliary tract pain.

Question 17

What diagnoses are associated to radiation of abdominal pain to the right scapula?

Answer 17

Biliary tract pain.

Question 18

What diagnoses are associated to radiation of abdominal pain to the left shoulder?

Answer 18

Splenic rupture.
LLL pneumonia.
Pancreas pain.

Question 19

What diagnoses are associated to radiation of abdominal pain to the suprapubic area?

Answer 19

Large bowel pain.

Question 20

What diagnoses are associated to radiation of abdominal pain to the groin?

Answer 20

Kidney pain.

Question 21

What diagnoses are associated to radiation of abdominal pain to the upper back?

Answer 21

Pancreas pain.

Question 22

What diagnoses are associated with colicky abdominal pain?

Answer 22

Biliary colic.
Nephrolithiasis.
Bowel obstruction.
Mesenteric ischemia.

Question 23

What labs should be run for acute abdomen?

Answer 23

CBC.
Electrolytes (BMP).
Amylase.
LFTs (if RUQ pain).
B-hCG (if woman of child-bearing age).
CXR and AXR.
Abdominal CT.