J Korean Acad Fam Med.  1997 Jan;18(1):13-21.

Decision-making for Management of Acute AMominal Pain

• Park KH
• Shin HS
• Sung NJ

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common problems in the family practice but the differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain is difficult in first encounter. When family physicians are encountered with patients with acute abdominal pain in the ambulatory care settings, t,hey have to make a decision for management of acute abdominal pain such as admission, referral, discharge or follow-up without any definite diagnosis. If it is possible to predict the course or prognosis of acute abdominal pain by using certain data about patients, it will be helpful to make a decision for the management of acute abdominal pain. So we tested the hypothesis that acute abdominal pain with intermittent pain nature and normal simple abdomen X-ray finding is not serious and shows favorable outcome.
METHODS
126 patients with acute abdorninal pain were enrolled from Feb. to Aug. in 1995 at the emergency department of Kyungju hospital, Dongkuk University. 116 patients showed normal simple abdomen X ray finding and among them 94 patients were discharged and 21 patients were admitted. 92 patients were contacted in 1 week by phone call and they reported the outcome of their acute abdominal pain.
RESULTS
Among 92 study populations, 44 patients were male and 48 patients were female. 72 patients complained intermittent abdominal pain and 21 patients complained continous abdominal pain. Frequencies of tentative diagnosis at emergency department were 45 acute gastroenteritis, 26 unknown, 14 functional gastointestinal disorders, 4 acute gastritis, 2 pelvic inflammatory diseases, and 1 ureter stone. Outcomes of patients with intermittent abdominal pain were more favorable than those with continous abdominal pain.
CONCLUSIONS
If the patients with acute abdominal pain have intermittent pain nature and normal simple abdomen x ray finding, they will show favorable outcome and can be managed at ambulatory care settings.

MeSH Terms

Abdomen
Abdominal Pain
Ambulatory Care
Diagnosis
Diagnosis, Differential
Emergency Service, Hospital
Family Practice
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Gastritis
Gastroenteritis
Gyeongsangbuk-do
Humans
Male
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Physicians, Family
Prognosis
Referral and Consultation
Ureter