Emergency medicine clinics of North America
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Abdominal pain represents 5% to 7% of all emergency department presentations. Many patients require imaging for diagnosis, and choosing the appropriate imaging modality is a crucial decision point. Modern medicine offers a fantastic array of options including abdominal radiograph, computed tomography, MRI, and ultrasonography, but the plethora of alternatives can be paralyzing. This article introduces the commonly available modalities, discusses the advantages and disadvantages, and presents current recommendations for commonly diagnosed conditions.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Nov 2021
ReviewAbdominal Pain in the Emergency Department: Missed Diagnoses.
Abdominal pain is the most common chief complaint in the Emergency Department. Abdominal pain is caused by a variety of gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal disorders. ⋯ If no diagnosis is identified, close reassessment of pain, vital signs, and physical examination are necessary to ensure safe discharge. Strict verbal and written return precautions should be provided to the patient.
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Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. · Nov 2021
ReviewAvoiding Misdiagnosis of Abdominal Vascular Catastrophes.
Abdominal vascular emergencies are an uncommon entity in emergency medicine, but when they present, they are often catastrophic. These time-sensitive and life-threatening diagnoses are often hidden in nonspecific complaints such as nausea, vomiting, or flank pain, so the emergency physician must remain diligent and consider these in the differential diagnoses. The following is an overview of the more common of these abdominal vascular emergencies, in the hope that they help the Emergency Physician avoid the misdiagnosis and subsequent vascular catastrophe that would follow.
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Abdominal pain is a common reason for emergency department visits, with many patients not receiving a definitive diagnosis for their symptoms. Non-gastrointestinal causes need to be considered in the workup of abdominal pain. A high index of suspicion is needed in order to develop a broad differential, and a thorough history and physical examination is paramount. This article will discuss some of these diagnoses, including can't miss diagnoses, common non-abdominal causes, and rare etiologies of abdominal pain.