This document discusses acute abdominal pain, including its causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests, management, and nursing considerations. The most common causes of acute abdominal pain are appendicitis, bowel obstruction, cholecystitis, diverticulitis, gastroenteritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, perforated ulcers, peritonitis, and ruptured abdominal aneurysms or ectopic pregnancies. Diagnostic tests include history, physical exam, blood tests, imaging scans, and laparoscopy. Management involves identifying and treating the underlying cause, managing pain and potential complications like shock, and sometimes surgery. Nurses monitor for pain, fluid and nutrition deficits, and anxiety.

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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
CLINICAL
MANIFESTATION
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REFERENCE
Acute abdominal pain is a condition that
demands urgent attention and treatment. The
acute abdomen may be caused by an infection,
inflammation, vascular occlusion or
obstruction.

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CLINICAL
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• Appendicitis
• Bowel obstruction
• Cholecystitis
• Diverticulitis
• Gastroenteritis
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Perforated gastric or duodenal ulcer
• Peritonitis
• Ruptured abdominal aneurysm
• Ruptured ectopic pregnancy

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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
CLINICAL
MANIFESTATION
DIAGNOSTIC
STUDIES
MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
NURSING
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 Acute abdominal pain is a symptom of many different
types of tissue injury
 The most common causes of an acute onset of abdominal
pain are listed above
 Certain causes (e.g., haemorrhage, obstruction, and
rupture) are life threatening because large fluid losses
from the vascular space
 Lead to shock

5. CAUSES
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
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 Pain is the most common symptom of an acute
abdominal problem.
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Diarrhoea
 Constipation
 Flatulence
 Fatigue
 Inflammation
 Fever, and
 Increase in abdominal girth.

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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
CLINICAL
MANIFESTATION
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 History taking
 Physical examination
 Complete blood count (CBC)
 Urinalysis
 Abdominal X-ray
 Electrocardiogram
 Ultra sound
 CT scan
 Laparoscopy
 Pregnancy tests should be done in women of childbearing age
with acute abdominal pain to rule out ectopic pregnancy.

7. CAUSES
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
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The goal of management is to identify and treat the
cause, and monitor and treat complications, especially
shock.
 Appropriate pain management that does not result in
altered consciousness (e.g., ketorolac ) can decrease
diffuse pain and abdominal rigidity and help localize the
pain. This can lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.
In the case of acute abdominal pain, surgery can be a
diagnostic as well as therapeutic procedure.

8. CAUSES
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
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An exploratory laparotomy, in which an opening is
made through the abdominal wall into the peritoneal
cavity, is done after a careful examination of the patient.
The cause of the acute abdomen pain can be surgically
removed (e.g., inflamed appendix) or surgically repaired
(e.g., ruptured abdominal aneurysm), surgery is
considered definitive therapy

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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
CLINICAL
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 Acute pain related to inflammation of the peritoneum
and abdominal distention
 Risk for deficient fluid volume related to collection
of fluid in peritoneal cavity secondary to
inflammation or infection
 Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements
related to anorexia, nausea, and vomiting
 Anxiety related to pain and uncertainty of cause or
outcome of condition

10. CAUSES
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
CLINICAL
MANIFESTATION
DIAGNOSTIC
STUDIES
MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
NURSING
DIAGNOSIS
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REFERENCE
 Write down common causes of acute
abdominal pain ?

11. CAUSES
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
CLINICAL
MANIFESTATION
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STUDIES
MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
NURSING
DIAGNOSIS
ASSIGNMENT
REFERENCE
 BRUNNER & SUDDHART’S TEXTBOOK OF
MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING VOLUME-I.
 LEWIS'S MEDICAL SURGICAL
NURSING(Assessment and management of
clinical problems) VOLUME-II (PAGE NO. 1014
TO 1017).