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Author Spotlight: Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Gastric Content Assessment and Risk Stratification in Perioperative Care
Published on: September 22, 2023
Paediatric abdominal pain in the time of COVID-19: a new diagnostic dilemma
Rachel Harwood1, Roland Partridge1, Joanne Minford1
1Department of Paediatric Surgery, Alder Hey in the Park, Liverpool, UK.
Abstract:
The diagnostic uncertainty for children with abdominal pain has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic with the additional consideration of both COVID-19 and paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome-temporally associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (PIMS-TS) alongside appendicitis, mesenteric adenitis and other less common causes of abdominal pain. We describe the cases of two children who presented with severe abdominal pain, non-bilious vomiting and high temperatures during the UK's first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Laboratory and abdominal ultrasound features were similar for both children but symptom progression in combination with cross-sectional abdominal imaging enabled differentiation between PIMS-TS and appendicitis with concurrent COVID-19. These cases highlight the importance of regular clinical review, multidisciplinary working and the utility of early cross-sectional imaging to determine the underlying condition.
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