[Morbidity and mortality in patients presenting with acute abdominal pain]

We reviewed the files of all patients who entered the hospital because of acute abdominal pain within a period of one year in order to study the frequency of this symptom and its lethal effects. The total cases found (562) were divided into two groups: patients under 50 years of age (279) and patients older than that age (283). The most frequent causes in the first group were reno-urethral lithiasis, acute appendicitis and acute pancreatitis. While in the second group were abdominal wall hernias, peptic acid disease and mesenteric thrombosis. No differences where found between the sexes of patients. Hospital mortality was 13.9% and that related to surgery 20.9%. The most frequent cause of death among patients under 50 years of age was acute pancreatitis and in those older than 50 years of age it was peptic acid disease.