Acute Abdomen

Temple College

EMS Professions

Acute Abdomen

General name for presence of signs, symptoms of inflammation of peritoneum (abdominal lining)

Acute Abdomen

• Determining exact cause irrelevant in pre-hospital care

• Important factor is recognizing acute abdomen is present

History

• Where do you hurt?– Know locations of major organs– But realize abdominal pain locations do not

correlate well with source

History

• What does pain feel like?– Steady pain - inflammatory process– Crampy pain - obstructive process

History

• Was onset of pain gradual or sudden?– Sudden = perforation, hemorrhage, infarct– Gradual = peritoneal irritation, hollow organ

distension

History

• Does pain radiate (travel) anywhere?– Right shoulder, angle of right scapula = gall

bladder– Around flank to groin = kidney, ureter

History

• Duration?– > 6 hour duration = ? surgical significance

• Nausea, vomiting? Bloody? “Coffee Grounds”?

Any blood in GI tract = Emergency until proven otherwise

History

• Change in urinary habits? Urine appearance?

• Change in bowel habits? Appearance of bowel movements? Melena?

History

• Regardless of underlying cause vomiting or diarrhea can be a problem because of associated volume loss

History

• Females– Last menstrual period? – Abnormal bleeding?

In females, abdominal pain = Gyn problem until proven otherwise

Physical Exam

• General Appearance– Lies perfectly still inflammation, peritonitis– Restless, writhing obstruction

• Abdominal distension?

• Ecchymosis around umbilicus, flanks?

Physical Exam

• Vital signs– Tachycardia ? Early shock (more important

than BP)– Rapid shallow breathing peritonitis

Tilt test should be done with non-traumatic abdominal pain

Physical Exam

• Palpate each quadrant– Work toward area of pain– Warm hands– Patient on back, knee bent (if possible)– Note tenderness, rigidity, involuntary

guarding,voluntary guarding, masses

Physical Exam

• Bowel Sounds– Listen 1 minute in each quadrant– Listen before feeling– Absent bowel sounds ileus, peritonitis, shock

Auscultating bowel sounds has no pre-hospital value in trauma patients

Management

• Airway

• High concentration O2

• Anticipate vomiting

• Anticipate hypovolemia

• Nothing by mouth

• No analgesics, sedatives

Management

• In adults > 30, consider possibility of referred cardiac pain.

• In females, consider possible gyn problem, especially tubal ectopic pregnancy

Appendicitis

• Usually due to obstruction with fecalith

• Appendix becomes swollen, inflamed gangrene, possible perforation

Appendicitis

• Pain begins periumbilical; moves to RLQ

• Nausea, vomiting, anorexia

• Patient lies on side; right hip, knee flexed

• Pain may not localize to RLQ if appendix in odd location

• Sudden relief of pain = possible perforation

Duodenal Ulcer Disease

• Steady, well-localized epigastric pain

• “Burning”, “gnawing”, “aching”

• Increased by coffee, stress, spicy food, smoking

• Decreased by alkaline food, antacids

Duodenal Ulcer Disease

• May cause massive GI bleed

• Perforation = intense, steady pain, pt lies still, rigid abdomen

Kidney Stone

• Mineral deposits form in kidney, move to ureter

• Often associated with history of recent UTI

• Severe flank pain radiates to groin, scrotum

• Nausea, vomiting, hematuria

• Extreme restlessness

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

• Localized weakness of blood vessel wall with dilation (like bubble on tire)

• Pulsating mass in abdomen

• Can cause lower back pain

• Rupture shock, exsanguination

Pancreatitis

• Inflammation of pancreas

• Triggered by ingestion of EtOH; large amounts of fatty foods

• Nausea, vomiting; abdominal tenderness; pain radiating from upper abdomen straight through to back

• Signs, symptoms of hypovolemic shock

Cholecystitis

• Inflammation of gall bladder

• Commonly associated with gall stones

• More common in 30 to 50 year old females

• Nausea, vomiting; RUQ pain, tenderness; fever

• Attacks triggered by ingestion of fatty foods

Bowel Obstruction

• Blockage of inside of intestine

• Interrupts normal flow of contents

• Causes include adhesions, hernias, fecal impactions, tumors

• Crampy abdominal pain; nausea, vomiting (often of fecal matter); abdominal distension

Esophageal Varices

• Dilated veins in lower part of esophagus

• Common in EtOH abusers, patients with liver disease

• Produce massive upper GI bleeds