3. What Is Acute Abdomen?
๏ Synonym: Acute abdominal pain
๏ Defination: A condition of severe abdominal pain
caused by an acute disease or injury to internal
organ(s) usually requiring emergency surgery.
OR
Previously undiagnosed pain that arises suddenly
less than 7 days (usually less than 48 hours),
needs urgent surgical intervention .
OR
Abdominal pain of a non traumatic origin with
maximum duration of 5 days.
4. Common Causes:
๏ SURGICAL:
1) Inflammation/Infection ( Acute appendicitis,
acute cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis, meckels
diverticulitis, acute diverticulitis, acute
cholangitis, urinary tract infection)
2) Obstruction ( Intestinal obstruction, biliary colic,
ureteric colic, acute retention of urine)
3) Ischemia ( Mesenteric ischemia, torsion of a
viscus)
4) Perforation ( Perforated peptic ulcer, perforated
appendix, toxic mega colon with perforaton, gall
bladder perforation, ruptured abdominal aortic
aneurysm)
7. HISTORY:
๏ 1) PARTICULARS : Age, gender, marital status,
occupation, address .
๏ 2) PRESENTING COMPLAINTS: Symptoms
which made patient to come to doctor, for
example: abdominal pain.
๏ 3) HISTORY OF PRESENTING ILLNESS:
Describe the presenting complaints in detail one
by one.
8. PAIN CHARACTERISTICS:
๏ Site โ Where is the pain? Or the maximal site of
the pain.
๏ Onset โ When did the pain start, and was it
sudden or gradual? Include also whether it is
progressive or regressive.
๏ Character โ What is the pain like? An ache?
Stabbing?
๏ Radiation โ Does the pain radiate anywhere?
๏ Associations โ Any other signs
or symptoms associated with the pain?
๏ Time course โ Does the pain follow any pattern?
๏ Exacerbating/relieving factors โ Does anything
change the pain?
12. Other Symptoms Associated With
Abdominal Pain
๏ Constipation: Suggests mechanical bowel
obstruction
๏ Diarrhea: Suggests pelvic abscess, blood stained
suggests ischemic colitis, IBD
๏ Fever: Marker of inflammation
๏ Hematochezia or malena: Lower GI bleed or
colonic ischemia
๏ Hematuria: Cystitis, ureteric colic
13. Past Medical History
๏ Ask about: Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, IHD,
tuberculosis, hepatitis, blood transfusion
Past Surgical History
๏ Ask about: Previous abdominal surgery, mode of
operation (laparoscopic or open), operative notes
and pathology reports should be obtained and
reviewed
14. Medication History
๏ Ask about: NSAIDS, anticoagulants, antiplatelets,
OCPs, corticosteroids, chemotherapeutics or
immunosuppresents
Family History: Often provides the best
information about medical causes of acute
abdomen
Gynecological History:
๏ Ask about: Menstruation history is crutial to
diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy, mittelschmerz,
endometriosis, History of vaginal discharge or
dysmenorrhea to rule out pelvic inflammatory
15. Personal And Social History
๏ Ask about: Any habit or addiction, dietary details,
sleep disturbance, patient economic status, home
surroundings
Occupational History
๏ Ask about: Exact nature of job, details of job in
past, exposure to chemicals or radiations
Travel History
๏ May raise the posibility of amebic liver abscess,
hydatid cyst, tuberculosis, dysentery
16. EXAMINATION
๏ Three types of abdominal pain (visceral, parietal,
referred)
๏ 1) Visceral pain: Due to stretching of fibers
innervating the walls of hollow or solid organs,
occurs early and poorly localized, can be due to
early ischemia or inflammation
๏ 2) Parietal pain: Caused by irritation of parietal
peritoneum fibers, occurs late and better
localized, can be localized to a dermatome
superficial to site of painful stimulus
๏ 3) Referred pain: Pain is felt at site away from
pathological organ, pain is usually ipsilateral to
17. Abdominal Exam
๏ Although we will focus on abdominal exam, but a
thorough physical exam (head to toes) is very
important in arriving at comprehensive differential
diagnosis list.
๏ Examples:
๏ Presence of jaundice may indicate biliary or
hepatic etiology
๏ Irregularly irregular heart rate atrial fibrillation:
mesenteric ischemia
๏ Skin lesions (pyoderma gangrenosum): IBD
18. ABDOMINAL EXAM
๏ The exam should be performed in this specific
order:
๏ 1) General appearance
๏ 2) Vital signs
๏ 3) Inspection
๏ 4) Auscultation
๏ 5) Percussion
๏ 6) Palpation
It should include: examination of inguinal area (
including external genitalia in males), Rectal
exam, Pelvic exam in females.
19. GENERAL APPEARANCE
๏ Pallor โ Malabsorption, acute or chronic blood
loss
๏ Icterus โ Heaptobiliary disease
๏ Cyanosis โ Cirrhosis with portal HTN
๏ Clubbing โ Ulcerative colitis, crohnโs diease
๏ Lymphadenopathy โ Localized or generalized
20. Continued
๏ Inflammation, peritonitis ( lies perfectly still or in
bed with thighs and knees flexed)
๏ Obstruction/Colic ( restless, writhing, abdominal
distension)
๏ Shock ( pallor, cyanosis, diaphoresis, decreased
mental status)
21. VITAL SIGNS
๏ Tachycardia (early shock)
๏ Rapid shallow breathing (peritonitis)
๏ Hypotension (may be a late finding, infectious
etiology or perforation)
22. INSPECTION
๏ Abdominal contour : Distended vs scaphoid,
irregular (mass, volvulus, obstruction, hernias)
๏ Skin : Ecchymossis around umblicus, flanks (
pancreatitis, trauma)
๏ Scars
๏ Prominent veins on the abdominal wall (portal
hypertension)
23. AUSCULTATION
๏ Bowel sounds
๏ Auscultate all regions
๏ Listen in each region
๏ Listen before feeling
๏ Absent bowl sounds (ileus, peritonitis, shock)
๏ Hyperactive (enteritis, obstruction)
๏ Bruits ( AAA, reno-vascular disease)
24. PERCUSSION
๏ Hyperresonance : Bowel distension with air
(obstruction)
loss of liver dullness in RUQ (liver dullness) - free
air
โข Fluid thrill and shifting dullness: Ascites
25. PALPATION
๏ Palpate each region
๏ Warm hands
๏ Communicate with patient (let the patient know
what you are about to do)
๏ Place patient supine
๏ Note tenderness (localize vs diffuse)
๏ Rebound tenderness (press on abdomen and
release, positive if pain is worse upon release
๏ Involuntary and voluntary guarding (distract the
patient)
๏ Rigidity
๏ Feel for masses
26. Findings that suggest specific
etiology
๏ Courvoisier sign (palpable gall bladder in
presence of painless jaundice โ periampullary
tumor)
๏ Caput medusa (varicose veins at umblicus โ
cirrhosis with portal HTN)
๏ Murphyโs sign (pain during inspiration while
palpating RUQ โ acute cholecystitis)
๏ Ransohoff sign (periumblical yellow discoloration
โ ruptured CBD)
27. Hemoperitoneum
๏ Hemorrhagic pancreatitis (cullen sign โ
periumblical bruising, grey turner sign โ
disoloration around flanks )
๏ Danforth sign (shoulder pain on inspiration)
๏ Kehrโs sign (left shoulder pain when supine or
pressure applied to LUQ โ splenic rupture
28. Appendicitis
๏ Rovsing sign (palpation on LLQ produces pain at RIF)
๏ Ten horn test (pain caused by gentle traction of right
testicle)
๏ Aaorn sign (persistent pressure applied at
McBurneyโs point causes pressure in epigastrium and
upper chest wall)
๏ PELVIC INFLAMMATION/ABSCESS
๏ Illiopsoas sign (allow patient to lie on opposite side of
pain, extend the thigh on affected side, this cause
pain if there is irritation of iliopsoas muscle)
๏ Obturator sign (flexion and internal rotation of right
thigh produces hypogastric pain)
๏ Chandelier sign (extreme lower abd/pelvic pain with
29. Inguinal examination
๏ Palpate inguinal area with and without valsalva
maneuver
๏ Pay attention to femoral area to rule out femoral
hernia
๏ In males testis should be examined to rule out
testicular torsion
๏ NEVER MISS DRE (digital rectal examination )
AND PELVIC EXAMINATION.