These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: ['Acute abdomen' in children].
    Author: Festen C.
    Journal: Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd; 1999 Jan 23; 143(4):182-5. PubMed ID: 10086138.
    Abstract:
    A child is said to have an 'acute abdomen' in case of severe abdominal pain of sudden onset. Further investigations are necessary if the pain is very bad, persists for longer than 3-4 hours or is accompanied by vomiting. Failure to make the correct diagnosis may result in severe complications. The principal cause in an older child is acute appendicitis. This diagnosis is to be based on the anamnesis, physical examination and laboratory tests. If one of these is typical, active observation is indicated; if two or three are typical, appendectomy is indicated. Differential diagnoses can only be made during laparotomy. Intussusception occurs more frequently in toddlers. In a child with possible intussusception, observation is not justified: the diagnosis should be excluded by a contrast colonic X-ray, or operation should be performed either immediately or, if the symptoms persist, after the X-ray. Rest and patience, careful and child-adapted approach, and correct evaluation of aberrant symptoms may minimize unnecessary intervention.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]