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Related Experiment Videos

Abdominal pain in the primary care setting.

A Adelman

    The Journal of Family Practice
    |July 1, 1987
    PubMed
    Summary

    Investigating abdominal pain patients revealed that many cases lack a definitive diagnosis. Most patients, primarily female, experienced self-limiting illnesses, often without a clear cause identified.

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    Area of Science:

    • Family Medicine
    • Gastroenterology
    • Internal Medicine

    Background:

    • Abdominal pain is a common presenting complaint in primary care settings.
    • Determining the etiology of abdominal pain can be challenging, leading to diagnostic uncertainty.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the characteristics and final diagnoses of patients presenting with abdominal pain.
    • To analyze demographic factors, symptoms, and diagnostic outcomes in a primary care population.

    Main Methods:

    • Retrospective chart review of 556 adult patients over two years across three family practice offices.
    • Data abstracted included demographics, symptoms, physical findings, lab results, and final diagnoses.
    • Final diagnoses were confirmed by objective measures, with exceptions for certain conditions.

    Main Results:

    • No definitive cause was identified for approximately half of the abdominal pain cases.
    • The majority of patients were female, even after excluding gynecologic conditions.
    • Nine percent of patients required hospitalization, with an average of 1.8 tests ordered per patient.

    Conclusions:

    • A significant proportion of patients with abdominal pain present with self-limited conditions.
    • Diagnostic uncertainty is common, highlighting the need for efficient diagnostic strategies in primary care.
    • Further research may focus on improving diagnostic accuracy for undifferentiated abdominal pain.

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