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What Are the “Rules of the Road” When Approaching Patients with Acute Abdominal Pain? What Are Common Diagnostic Errors and Who Are High-Risk Patients?

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Abstract

The presenting complaint of acute abdominal pain suggests disease processes that range from benign to potentially life threatening. An organized approach that elicits a thorough history and physical exam can help the clinician generate a comprehensive differential diagnosis. Evaluation of the location, quality, and progression of symptoms should be used in conjunction with exam findings to develop an appropriate management plan. The clinician should be mindful of potential diagnostic errors and ways to avoid them. When evaluating elderly patients with acute abdominal pain, special consideration is warranted as they may present atypically and harbor acute surgical pathology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA

    Kelle Goranson & Samuel D. Luber

Authors
  1. Kelle Goranson
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  2. Samuel D. Luber
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Samuel D. Luber .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    Autumn Graham

  2. Department of Emergency Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA

    David J. Carlberg

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Goranson, K., Luber, S.D. (2019). What Are the “Rules of the Road” When Approaching Patients with Acute Abdominal Pain? What Are Common Diagnostic Errors and Who Are High-Risk Patients?. In: Graham, A., Carlberg, D.J. (eds) Gastrointestinal Emergencies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98343-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98343-1_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98342-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98343-1

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