Etiology of non-traumatic acute abdomen in pediatric emergency departments

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Wen-Chieh Yang1, Chun-Yu Chen1, Han-Ping Wu1

  • 1Wen-Chieh Yang, Chun-Yu Chen, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Changhua Christian Hospital, 500 Changhua, Taiwan.

World Journal of Clinical Cases
|December 24, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric acute abdominal pain evaluation requires considering age, history, and symptoms. This review details common non-traumatic causes across four pediatric age groups to aid emergency physicians.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Acute abdominal pain is a frequent pediatric emergency department presentation.
  • Comprehensive patient evaluation is crucial for accurate diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To guide pediatric emergency physicians on non-traumatic acute abdominal pain.
  • To stratify common causes by pediatric age groups.

Main Methods:

  • Review article synthesizing information on pediatric acute abdominal pain.
  • Categorization of causes based on age: <2, 2-5, 5-12, and >12 years.
  • Discussion of conditions including appendicitis, intussusception, and mesenteric adenitis.

Main Results:

  • Etiologies of acute abdomen in children are age-dependent.
  • Key conditions reviewed include appendicitis, intussusception, Henoch-Schönlein purpura, infection, Meckel's diverticulum, and mesenteric adenitis.

Conclusions:

  • Age stratification is essential for diagnosing acute abdomen in children.
  • Thorough history, physical exam, and imaging aid differential diagnosis and timely treatment.

Keywords:
Abdominal painNon-traumatic acute abdominal pain

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