HPC: Abdominal pain

Question 1

3 most common causes of acute abdominal pain?

Answer 1

1. Diverticulitis
2. Infection
3. Ischaemia

Question 2

Another way of classifying the causes of an acute abdomen, or any condition, is by using a surgical sieve:

Answer 2

Infective

• gastroenteritis
• appendicitis
• diverticulitis
• pyelonephritis
• cholecystitis
• cholangitis
• pelvic inflammatory disease
• hepatitis
• pneumonia

Inflammatory

• pancreatitis
• peptic ulcer disease

Vascular

• ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm
• mesenteric ischaemia
• myocardial infarction

Traumatic

• ruptured spleen
• perforated viscus (e.g. oesophagus, stomach, bowel)

Metabolic

• renal/ureteric stone
• diabetic ketoacidosis