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The Value of Clinical Findings in Children Admitted to Pediatric Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain
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Original Research
VOLUME: 2 ISSUE: 2
P: 77 - 82
August 2015

The Value of Clinical Findings in Children Admitted to Pediatric Emergency Department with acute abdominal pain

J Pediatr Emerg Intensive Care Med 2015;2(2):77-82
Murat Duman 1
Durgül Yılmaz 1
Fatma Akgül 1
Ayşe Özgün Arlı 2
Hakkı Akman 2
Erdal Karakaya 3
Oğuz Ateş 3
1. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Çocuk Acil Bilim Dalı, İzmir
2. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Çocuk Sağlığı Ve Hastalıkları Anabilim Dalı, İzmir
3. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Çocuk Cerrahi Anabilim Dalı, İzmir
No information available.
No information available
Received Date: 22.06.2015
Accepted Date: 03.07.2015
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ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION:

Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common causes of admission to pediatric emergency department. The vast majority of acute abdominal pain in children is caused by non-specific reasons and 5% of patients require emergency surgery. An accurate and early diagnosis is very important for the patients requiring surgical intervention because of its impact on morbidity and mortality.

METHODS:

Patients who admitted to emergency department with acute abdominal pain and hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute abdomen were analyzed retrospectively from hospital records. Initial physical examination and laboratory findings at admission were evaluated.

RESULTS:

160 patients enrolled in the study, 96 (60,0%) were male and the average age was 10,2 ± 4,7 years. While 45 of the patients (28,1%) have diagnosis of non-specific abdominal pain, 115 (71,9%) patients treated surgically. Of the patient operated with diagnose of acute abdomen, 94 (81,7%) were acute and/or perforated appendicitis, 9 (7,8%) were invagination, 3 cases were ovarian cyst, 2 cases were Meckel's diverticulum, 2 cases were bride ileus and 1 case was gastric perforation. We couldn’t observe any surgical pathology in 4 patients. When we compare the signs and symptoms of hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of acute abdomen and treated surgically and conservatively, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of fever. Anorexia, localized right lower quadrant pain, nausea and vomiting after pain were significantly higher in surgically treated patients. Compared two groups of physical examination; defense, rebound and right lower quadrant tenderness were significantly higher in surgically treated patients. The average age and the number of leukocytes were significantly higher in surgically treated patients.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

In conclusion; these findings suggest that a good medical history and physical examination are important for differential diagnosis of specific and non-specific causes of acute abdominal pain and for making a decision of surgery.

Keywords:
Acute abdominal pain, clinical findings
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