Appendicitis & Diverticulitis Flashcards
What is an Acute Abdomen?
A condition that demands urgent attention and treatment in which a patient presents with sudden onset of peritoneal signs.
May be caused by infection, inflammation, vascular occlusion, or obstruction.
What are the peritoneal signs?
Rebound tenderness, involuntary guarding, tenderness to percussion.
These signs indicate irritation of the peritoneum.
What are the characteristics of visceral abdominal pain?
Slow onset, vague, dull, poorly localized, usually felt midline due to bilateral sensory supply.
Causes include distention of hollow organs, inflammation, ischemia, and malignant infiltration of sensory nerves.
What defines parietal abdominal pain?
Acute, sharp, localized to a specific region due to direct irritation of the parietal peritoneum.
Causes include pus, bile, urine, or GI secretions.
What is referred pain?
Pain perceived at a different, distant site from the involved organ due to shared innervation from the same spinal level.
It appears with intense stimulation of the affected viscera.
What key history and physical exam factors are important for acute abdomen diagnosis?
- Where is the pain
- Does it radiate anywhere
- What does it feel like
- When did it start
- What were you doing when the pain began
- Have you had this type of pain before
- Associated symptoms
- Age of Patient
- Gender
- Medical Conditions and Medications
- Previous Surgeries
- Family and Social History
What is Murphy’s Sign indicative of?
Acute cholecystitis.
It is a special test used during the physical examination.
What does Kehr’s Sign indicate?
Splenic rupture or ectopic pregnancy rupture.
It is characterized by referred pain to the left shoulder.
What is the significance of McBurney’s Sign?
It is associated with appendicitis.
It is located one-third of the way from the ASIS to the umbilicus.
What is the embryological significance of week 6 in intestinal development?
Midgut herniates out of the abdominal cavity.
This is a critical stage in the development of the intestines.
What is duodenal atresia?
Failure of the bowel to recanalize during gestation.
Clinical presentation includes bilious vomiting and abdominal distention.
What imaging sign is associated with duodenal atresia?
Double bubble sign.
It shows dilation of the stomach and proximal duodenum with absent gas distally.
What is hypertrophic pyloric stenosis?
Gastric outlet obstruction due to hypertrophy of the pylorus.
It presents with nonbilious projectile vomiting in infants.
What findings are associated with intussusception?
- Crampy abdominal pain
- Intermittent vomiting
- Currant jelly stool
It is a leading cause of intestinal obstruction in young children.
What is a common complication of diverticulitis?
Perforation leading to peritonitis.
Other complications include abscess, strictures, and fistulas.
