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Abdominal pain in children

Maureen McCollough1, Ghazala Q Sharieff

  • 1Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Keck USC School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 755 Woodward Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107, USA. mmccollo@usc.edu

Pediatric Clinics of North America
|February 21, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric abdominal pain in emergency departments requires differentiating common gastrointestinal issues from surgical emergencies. This review covers both self-limited and life-threatening conditions in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology
  • Pediatric Surgery

Background:

  • Abdominal pain and GI symptoms are frequent in pediatric emergency visits.
  • Distinguishing self-limited conditions from surgical emergencies is critical.
  • Pediatric examination challenges can obscure serious diagnoses like appendicitis, intussusception, and malrotation with volvulus.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review common and life-threatening gastrointestinal conditions presenting in pediatric emergency departments.
  • To aid emergency physicians in diagnosing elusive pediatric GI emergencies.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of pediatric gastrointestinal emergencies.
  • Discussion of diagnostic challenges in pediatric abdominal pain.
  • Categorization of conditions into self-limited and surgical emergencies.

Main Results:

  • Viral gastroenteritis and constipation are common self-limited causes.
  • Appendicitis, intussusception, and malrotation with volvulus represent critical surgical emergencies.
  • Accurate diagnosis relies on careful evaluation despite examination difficulties.

Conclusions:

  • Emergency physicians must be adept at differentiating benign from emergent pediatric GI conditions.
  • Early recognition of surgical emergencies is vital for timely intervention.
  • This review provides a framework for managing pediatric abdominal pain in the ED.

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