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Constipation as cause of acute abdominal pain in children

Vera Loening-Baucke1, Alexander Swidsinski

  • 1Division of General Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA. vera-loening-baucke@uiowa.edu

The Journal of Pediatrics
|November 24, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Constipation is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain in children, affecting 48% of cases. This study analyzed 962 children aged 4 and older in a pediatric primary care setting.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Acute abdominal pain is a common pediatric complaint.
  • Identifying the cause is crucial for appropriate management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the etiological spectrum of acute abdominal pain.
  • To analyze causes in a large pediatric primary care cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective chart review of 962 children (≥4 years old).
  • Data collected over a 6-month period from health maintenance visits.
  • Focus on complaints and identified causes of acute abdominal pain.

Main Results:

  • 9% of children presented with acute abdominal pain.
  • Constipation (acute and chronic) was the leading cause (48%).
  • Surgical causes accounted for 2%; etiology remained unknown in 19%.

Conclusions:

  • Constipation is the predominant cause of acute abdominal pain in children.
  • No significant diagnostic differences were observed between primary care and emergency departments.
Abstract

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