What is an acute abdomen and why you need to call an ambulance as soon as possible with it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The pain reliever from the first aid kit in this case will not help, but will harm.

What is a sharp stomach

The term Pain in the abdominal and pelvic region (R10) "acute abdomen" refers to Acute Abdominal Pain a set of signs that indicate that some pathological process is rapidly developing in the abdominal cavity - most often life-threatening.

Up to 10% of Acute Abdomen emergency department visits are associated with an acute abdomen.

It can be severe hemorrhage, extensive infection, bowel obstruction. However, sometimes the relatively safe Evaluation of Acute Abdominal Pain in Adults conditions also make themselves felt with an acute abdomen. But there is an important nuance here.

Why do you need to call an ambulance with an acute stomach

Only a qualified doctor can understand the causes of pain and make an accurate diagnosis. At home, you can hardly tell a relatively harmless gastroenteritis from, for example, peritonitis. And in the case of the last or a dozen other pathological processes, every minute counts: the slightest delay in calling an ambulance can lead to death.

Therefore, if you suspect that we are talking about an acute abdomen, immediately dial 103 or 112.

What are the symptoms of an acute abdomen

Distinguishing potentially harmless sensations from a condition that threatens health and life is possible by two characteristic signs of pain in the abdominal and pelvic region (R10):

• Severe abdominal pain. It can be localized, that is, felt in some one area, or generalized - when the stomach seems to be hurting entirely.
• Stiffness of the muscles of the abdominal wall, that is, their stubbornness, tension. In an acute condition, the abdomen becomes hard.

However, in the elderly and children, these characteristic symptoms are blurred. Therefore, other indicators are used to assess the risk. Here they are Acute Abdominal Pain:

• Vomit.
• A sharp drop in blood pressure (hypotension) - up to 90/60 and below.
• Dizziness, weakness, pallor, cold sweat.
• Confused consciousness.
• Very unwell, obviously ill-looking.
• Pain when touching the abdomen.
• Signs of dehydration: dry mouth, lack of saliva or saliva foamy and white, sunken eyes.
• Lack of bowel sounds or unusual sounds inside the abdomen. This can be heard by placing the ear against the victim's abdomen - a procedure called auscultation.
• Mobility disorders. A person lies static, unable to move, or, conversely, wriggles and writhes in pain.
• There is reason to suspect a medical problem. For example, we are talking about a pregnant woman or signs of an acute abdomen appeared in a child who was so sick, and you suspected possible appendicitis.

To reiterate, if symptoms suggest an acute abdomen, call an ambulance immediately. In this case, it is better to keep out of sight than to bring the situation to death.

What to do before the ambulance arrives

The best and, in general, the only possible help is to provide the victim with peace.

Never try to relieve Abdominal Pain with over-the-counter pain relievers or the antiemetic Acute Abdomen. First, they blur the symptoms, making it difficult to make a diagnosis. And secondly, taking drugs based on acetylsalicylic acid or ibuprofen often leads to irritation of the gastrointestinal tract and, as a result, only worsens the state of health.

Any medicine in case of an acute abdomen can only be prescribed by a doctor!

How to treat an acute abdomen

To relieve severe pain, doctors will inject the patient with one of the opiate analgesics, such as morphine. Such pain relievers help to improve well-being and at the same time, the Randomized clinical trial of morphine in acute abdominal pain has an uncritical effect on the accuracy of the diagnosis.

At the same time, it is often difficult to make a diagnosis even for an experienced doctor. The specialist relies on additional symptoms: where and how it hurts, what happened before the attack (perhaps the person was hit in the stomach or swallowed something), how the victim behaves. For example, if the patient lies motionless, it is highly likely that we are talking about peritonitis. And if he cannot find a comfortable position due to pain, it may be because of intestinal, biliary or renal colic.

When the victim is taken to the hospital, he will undergo a full examination, including blood tests, urine tests, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and chest organs, electrocardiogram, gastroenterological or gynecological (if the patient is a woman) tests.

Further, doctors will act according to the organ in which they find the violation and what caused it. In some cases - for example, with appendicitis, intestinal obstruction - an urgent surgical operation is required. In other Acute Abdomen - for acute pancreatitis, sickle-cell anemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, pyelonephritis - medication and supportive therapy can be dispensed with.

What are the causes of an acute abdomen

Here are the most common culprits of Acute Abdomen for acute abdomen:

• acute appendicitis;
• peritonitis;
• acute cholecystitis;
• acute pancreatitis;
• pyelonephritis;
• renal colic;
• ruptured spleen;
• peptic ulcer of the stomach or intestines;
• diverticulitis;
• intestinal obstruction;
• gastroenteritis;
• inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis;
• acute intestinal ischemia (a sharp deterioration in blood flow in the intestine);
• gastrointestinal bleeding;
• aneurysm (expansion, up to rupture) of the abdominal aorta;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• torsion of the ovary;
• lower lobe pneumonia;
• pulmonary embolism;
• myocardial infarction;
• pericarditis;
• diabetic ketoacidosis;
• acute hepatitis.

Almost all of the above requires immediate professional help.