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Related Experiment Videos

Acute abdominal pain in the elderly.

T F Bugliosi1, T D Meloy, L F Vukov

  • 1Division of Emergency Medical Services and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.

Annals of Emergency Medicine
|December 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Elderly patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute abdominal pain often have surgical conditions. ED staff accurately diagnose and triage these older adults, despite diagnostic challenges.

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Area of Science:

  • Geriatric Medicine
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Surgical Pathology

Background:

  • Acute abdominal pain is a common emergency department (ED) complaint in elderly patients.
  • Diagnosing the cause of abdominal pain in older adults can be challenging due to atypical presentations.
  • Identifying surgical emergencies is critical for timely intervention and improved outcomes in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of specific diagnoses and surgical diseases in patients over 65 presenting with acute, nontraumatic abdominal pain.
  • To evaluate the accuracy of emergency department (ED) staff in diagnosing and triaging elderly patients with acute abdominal pain.

Main Methods:

  • A 12-month retrospective review was conducted.
  • The study included all elderly patients (age >65) presenting to the ED with acute, nontraumatic abdominal pain of less than one week's duration.
  • Data were collected from a regional trauma center ED with 55,000 annual visits.

Main Results:

  • 127 patients were analyzed; 24% received no specific ED diagnosis.
  • Biliary tract disease and small bowel obstruction were the most frequent diagnoses (12% each).
  • 42% of patients required surgery, and diagnostic accuracy for surgical conditions was high, with few significant discrepancies between ED and postoperative diagnoses.

Conclusions:

  • Elderly patients with acute abdominal pain have a high incidence of surgical disease.
  • Emergency department staff demonstrate accuracy in diagnosing and triaging these complex patients.

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