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The management of acute abdominal pain in children
1Department of Paediatric Surgery, Woden Valley Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
Insights
Appendicitis is over-diagnosed in children with acute abdominal pain. Experienced pediatric surgeons should make the diagnosis, minimizing investigations for better decision-making.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Emergency Medicine
- Clinical Diagnosis
Background:
- Acute abdominal pain is a common pediatric complaint.
- Appendicitis is a frequent diagnosis in emergency departments.
Purpose of the Study:
- Determine appendicitis frequency in children with acute abdominal pain.
- Analyze patient management in the emergency department.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of initial hospital assessments.
- Documentation of subsequent clinical progress.
Main Results:
- Most children with acute abdominal pain do not have appendicitis.
- Appendicitis is significantly over-diagnosed by junior hospital doctors.
Conclusions:
- Appendicitis diagnosis requires experienced pediatric surgical team input.
- Minimize investigations and utilize frequent review for rational surgical decisions.
Objective:
Acute abdominal pain is a common problem in childhood, and appendicitis is frequently diagnosed by general practitioners and doctors working in emergency departments. The objective of the present report was to determine the frequency of appendicitis in a group of children with acute abdominal pain presenting to the emergency department of a general hospital, as well as attempting to analyse the manner in which these patients were managed.
Methodology:
The initial assessment in hospital (by resident hospital staff) of the study group of patients was analysed and their subsequent clinical progress documented.
Results:
The present report shows that the vast majority of children with acute abdominal pain do not have appendicitis and that appendicitis is significantly over-diagnosed by junior hospital doctors.
Conclusions:
Appendicitis is a clinical diagnosis, best made by an experienced member of the paediatric surgical team. Frequent review, with a minimum of investigations, provides the best means of making a rational decision regarding surgery.