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acute abdomen
(redirected from Acute abdomen etiology)

   Also found in: Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
abdomen /ab·do·men/ (ab´dah-men) (ab-do´men) that part of the body lying between the thorax and the pelvis, and containing the abdominal cavity and viscera.
acute abdomen  an acute intra-abdominal condition of abrupt onset, usually associated with pain due to inflammation, perforation, obstruction, infarction, or rupture of abdominal organs, and usually requiring emergency surgical intervention.
carinate abdomen , navicular abdomen scaphoid a.
abdomen obsti´pum  congenital shortness of the rectus abdominis muscle.
scaphoid abdomen  one whose anterior wall is hollowed, occurring in children with cerebral disease.
surgical abdomen  acute a.

acute abdomen
n.
A serious condition within the abdomen characterized by sudden onset, pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity, and usually requiring emergency surgery. Also called surgical abdomen.

acute abdomen,
an abnormal condition characterized by the acute onset of severe pain within the abdominal cavity. An acute abdomen requires immediate evaluation and diagnosis because it may indicate a condition that calls for surgical intervention. Information about the onset, duration, character, location, and symptoms associated with the pain is critical in making an accurate diagnosis. The patient is asked what decreases or increases the pain; constant, increasing pain is generally associated with appendicitis and diverticulitis, whereas intermittent pain more likely indicates an intestinal obstruction, ureteral calculi, or biliary calculi. Appendicitis may often be differentiated from a perforating ulcer by the slower onset or development of pain. Although the patient's report of the location of the pain is sometimes misleading because of referral, radiation, or reflection of pain, it may serve to identify a specific organ or system. Factors in the patient's history that are useful in the diagnosis and management of an acute abdomen include changes in bowel habits, weight loss, bloody stool, diarrhea, menses, vomiting, clay-colored stool, and previous abdominal surgery. Also called surgical abdomen. See also abdominal pain.

abdomen
the portion of the body between the thorax and the pelvis containing the abdominal cavity. See also abdominal.

acute abdomen
an acute intra-abdominal condition of abrupt onset, usually associated with pain due to inflammation, perforation, obstruction, infarction or rupture of abdominal organs, and usually requiring emergency intervention. Called also surgical abdomen.
gaunt abdomen
decreased abdominal size.
surgical abdomen
see acute abdomen (above).

acute abdomen
A relatively nonspecific symptom complex, in which a Pt is first seen in a 'toxic' state, complaining of incapacitating abdominal pain, variably accompanied by fever, and leukocytosis; AA may also be defined as an acute intra-abdominal inflammatory process that may require surgical intervention; appendicitis is the most common cause of an AA; nearly 100 other conditions may present in a similar fashion, in particular, ruptured ectopic pregnancy in a fallopian tube, ruptured acute diverticulitis and acute mesenteric lymphadenitis
Acute abdomen etiology
Infection
Amebiasis, hepatitis, falciparum malaria, pneumococcal pneumonia, rheumatic fever, salmonella gastroenteritis, staphylococcal toxemia, syphilis in 'tabetic crisis,' trichinosis, TB, typhoid fever, viral enteritides, herpes zoster, infectious mononucleosis, Whipple's disease
Inflammation
Appendicitis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, SLE, mesenteric lymphadenitis, pancreatitis, peritonitis due to organ perforation, perinephric abscesses, pyelonephritis, ulcerative colitis, intestinal obstruction, rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, Henoch-Schönlein disease
Intoxication
Black widow spider bite, heavy metals, mushrooms
Ischemia
Renal infarction, mesenteric arterial thrombosis
Malignancy
Pain due to organ infarction, Hodgkin's disease ('classically' associated with alcohol ingestion), leukemia, lymphoproliferative disorders
Metabolic disease
Adrenal insufficiency (Addisonian crisis), DKA, familial hyperlipoproteinemia, familial Mediterranean fever, hemochromatosis, hereditary angioneurotic edema, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, acute intermittent porphyria, uremia, substance abuse withdrawal
Ob/Gyn
Twisted ovarian cyst, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, PD
Referred pain
Pneumonia, MI, pleuritis, pericarditis, myocarditis, hematomata of the rectal muscle, renal colic, peptic ulcer, nerve root compression
Trauma
Perforation/rupture–aortic aneurysm, spleen, bladder

Patient discussion about Acute abdomen etiology.

Q. Uncomfortable in my left-lower abdomen. But it is not acute or dull pain at all. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable in my lower-left abdomen. I roughly guess it started summer in 2008. Certainly, it's not acute or even dull pain at all. But it makes me very uncomfortable when I sit on the chair. I can feel it by sitting on the chair. Such uncomfortableness seems to reside in somewhere between my left leg and abdomen. It is under my navel, and to the left, extending to the my left flank. Once again, I can sense it by touching something developing (With my fingers, I gently pressed that area and, I realized that there's a difference between pressing on the lower-left abdomen and the lower-right abdomen.) But it is not something swollen, and not a hard thing. I've never had the caecum removed. I'm 40 years old, East asian. I quitted smoking in early 90's. In Octocber, 2008 I found my blood pressure pretty good (I can't remember it, though). My life is quite sedentary (I'm a graduate student.) I guess I spend most of my daily time on the chair. Thanks for any opinion in advance.

A. hi '''i do have the same thing all what i do is keep it higher than my hart and after a lettel time it well come back to normal and i advice you to go see a d'r when you have the rhit time for it.......and happy holly day and happy 2009..lolo21

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