Related Experiment Videos
Abdominal symptoms as presentation of hypertensive crisis
S K Van Why1, I I Boydstun, K M Gaudio
1Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.
Insights
Hypertensive crisis in children can manifest as abdominal pain. Measuring blood pressure is crucial for diagnosing unexplained abdominal symptoms in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Clinical Pediatrics
Background:
- Hypertensive crisis is a severe elevation in blood pressure requiring immediate intervention.
- Abdominal symptoms are common in pediatric patients but can mask underlying conditions.
Observation:
- A series of three pediatric patients presented with hypertensive crisis and primarily abdominal symptoms.
- These symptoms resolved upon blood pressure normalization.
Findings:
- The study describes pediatric patients experiencing hypertensive crisis with initial abdominal complaints.
- Abdominal symptoms were transient and resolved with blood pressure management.
Implications:
- Routine blood pressure measurement is essential during all pediatric physical examinations.
- Unexplained abdominal symptoms in children warrant immediate blood pressure assessment before further diagnostic workup.
Objective:
To describe a series of patients in hypertensive crisis who presented primarily with abdominal symptoms.
Design:
Patient reports.
Setting:
Referral center after initial presentation in the general community.
Participants:
Three children, aged 10 months to 4 years, in hypertensive crisis who presented with abdominal symptoms that promptly resolved and did not recur with blood pressure control.
Conclusions:
Blood pressure should be measured in all children undergoing physical examination; particular attention should be paid to the blood pressure of patients with unexplained abdominal symptoms before extensive diagnostic testing is pursued.