Acute abdomen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The term acute abdomen refers to an emergency situation in medicine, namely an acute onset of symptoms and signs around the abdomen, indicating severe underlying disease. Urgent and specific treatment is needed and may be life-saving. This treatment will be, in many cases but not always, an operation.
The classical differential diagnosis for the clinical picture of acute abdomen is:
1. Acute peptic ulcer
2. Acute appendicitis
3. Acute intestinal ischaemia, usually secondary to thrombotic occlusion of the mesenteric arteries.
3. Acute gall bladder pathology, such as an impacted gallstone
4. Acute pancreatitis
Acute abdomen is frequently used as a synonym for peritonitis, which may result from several of the above diseases, notably appendicitis and pancreatitis.
Categories: Surgery stubs | General surgery | Medical emergencies | Medical terms

