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An update on common gastrointestinal emergencies

Seema Shah1

  • 1Division of Emergency Medicine, Rady Children's Hospital, University of California San Diego, 3020 Children's Way, MC 5075, San Diego, CA 92123, USA. sshah@rchsd.org

Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America
|August 7, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Diagnosing acute abdominal pain in children is challenging. This review covers common surgical causes, emphasizing prompt identification and management to reduce complications.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatric Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Acute abdominal pain is a frequent pediatric presentation.
  • Differentiating surgical from non-surgical causes is critical for timely intervention.
  • Delayed diagnosis of surgical emergencies increases morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review common surgical etiologies of acute abdominal pain in children.
  • To highlight diagnostic challenges in pediatric abdominal pain.
  • To guide the appropriate selection of diagnostic imaging.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of common surgical causes of pediatric abdominal pain.
  • Analysis of diagnostic pathways including clinical presentation, examination, and laboratory findings.
  • Discussion of imaging modalities for surgical emergencies.

Main Results:

  • Common surgical causes include appendicitis, intussusception, and malrotation with volvulus.
  • Clinical symptoms, physical examination, and lab results are crucial initial steps.
  • Imaging plays a key role in confirming surgical diagnoses.

Conclusions:

  • Prompt recognition of surgical emergencies in pediatric abdominal pain is vital.
  • A systematic approach integrating clinical data and imaging aids diagnosis.
  • Effective management strategies are essential to improve outcomes.

Keywords:
AppendicitisHirschsprung diseaseIntussusceptionMalrotationPyloric stenosis

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