ABSTRACT

Acute abdominal pain is a common cause of admission to the emergency department. Differential diagnosis of abdominal pain is not easy for the emergency physician. In this study, the results of physical examination, blood biochemical analysis and radiological imaging in patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain were evaluated. These findings were compared with the literature.

This study was designed as a cross-sectional descriptive study. One hundred and sixty-six patients were included. Patient physical examination findings, amylase, D-dimer and leukocyte values and radiological and surgical findings were evaluated.

All patients had abdominal physical examination findings. Seventy- two (43.4%) patients had only abdominal sensitivity, 33 (28%) patients showed gall bladder pathology by ultrasound and no pathology was found in 36 patients (30.7%). A mass was determined in three (8.1%) of 37 (22.3%) patients, appendicitis in four (10.8%), gall bladder pathology in three (8.1%), ileus-volvulus in four (10.8%) and mesenteric ischemia in six (16.2%) patients who were examined by abdominal tomography.

Despite advances in imaging and laboratory techniques, the great majority of cases with acute abdominal pain cannot be definitively diagnosed, as in this study, and are evaluated as non-specific abdominal pain. The fact that selected cases are transferred to the center where the investigation is performed may create a discrepancy with the literature. In this study, the frequency of gall duct-related diseases was higher than in the literature and cases of acute appendicitis were much less frequent.

Keywords: Acute abdominal pain, acute abdomen, cholecystitis, appendicitis, mesenteric ischemia