Acute abdominal pain

Strong stomach ache

Acute and severe abdominal pain as an emergency:Under the term Acute abdomen or acute abdominal pain, various abdominal diseases accumulate, which can suddenly lead to a life-threatening condition. The acute abdomen is accompanied by the most violent, severe abdominal pain that is colicky or permanent. Often there are nausea or vomiting, a palpable hard abdominal wall (due to muscular defense tension) as well as flatulence with absolute absence of bowel movements or outgoing winds. An urgent emergency exists when the persistent abdominal pain is accompanied by vomiting, fever, tachycardia, hypotension, paleness and cold sweats. Then threaten shock and circulatory failure, which urgently need intensive care treatment.

contents

• Strong stomach ache
• Synonyms
• Causes of acute abdominal pain
• Diseases of the digestive organs
• infectious diseases
• injury
• blood vessels
• Causes outside the abdomen

Synonyms

Acute abdomen, surgical abdomen, surgical abdomen, acute abdomen, acute abdominal pain, acute abdomen, severe abdominal pain.

Causes of acute abdominal pain

There are a variety of diseases in question, on the bottom of which an acute abdomen can arise, which are subsequently illustrated in more detail.

Diseases of the digestive organs

In the digestive system, intestinal obstruction (ileus) and peritonitis (peritonitis), as well as peptic ulcer disease with bleeding or breakthrough of the ulcer, are to be mentioned. Furthermore, the cause is the biliary colic, acute gallbladder inflammation and bile perforation (breakthrough of the gallbladder), but also acute pancreatitis, all of which are usually accompanied by pain in the right upper abdomen (partly spasmodic). Small bowel (ileitis) and colon inflammation (colitis) and acute appendicitis (appendicitis) are often associated with pain in the umbilical region, while the acute diverticulitis of the colon typically causes pain in the left lower abdomen.

infectious diseases

Likewise, complicated courses of infectious diseases can lead to acute abdomen, such as malaria, TBC, typhus or viral hepatitis. The abdominal pain is felt here diffusely in the umbilical region and are described as dull, boring or spasmodic.

injury

Impact, shock or impact injuries in the abdominal region, can injure organs and lead to about splitting or rupture of the liver. Pain is in accordance with the organ position in splenic rupture in the left, in liver rupture v.a. palpable in the right upper abdomen.

blood vessels

A burst aortic aneurysm abdominal aorta leads to severe abdominal pain, which are often accompanied by shoulder pain and back pain. Just like a mesenteric infarction, which can occur suddenly by occlusion of an abdominal artery and in which, after the most severe pain, symptom-free intervals alternate with diffuse abdominal pain.

Causes outside the abdomen

A heart attack may be present if the abdominal pain does not occur below the umbilical region. Constipation or lung diseases such as pneumonia and pancreatitis are often accompanied by fever and respiratory pain.

Pain in the right or left lower abdomen, however, indicates organs in the pelvis. In women, this can include tubal inflammation, ovarian inflammation, fallopian tube or buccal cavity pregnancy (extrauterine pregnancy) as well as stilted ovarian cysts, in men epididymitis or testicular torsion. Also to be considered is a trapped inguinal hernia (incarcerated hernia). (Dipl.Päd. Jeanette Viñals Stein, non-medical practitioner)

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Picture 1: Stephanie Hofschlaeger