Acute abdomen
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The term acute abdomen refers to a sudden, severe pain in the abdomen that is less than 24 hours in duration. It is a surgical emergency requiring urgent and specific diagnosis. Treatment may be life-saving. This treatment will be, in many cases but not always, an operation.
[edit] Causes
The differential diagnosis of acute abdomen includes:
- Acute appendicitis.
- Acute peptic ulcer and its complications.
- Acute gall bladder pathology, such as an impacted gallstone.
- Acute pancreatitis.
- Acute intestinal ischaemia, usually secondary to thrombotic occlusion of the mesenteric arteries.
Acute abdomen is frequently used as a synonym for peritonitis, which may result from several of the above diseases, notably appendicitis and pancreatitis.
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