ACUTE ABDOMINAL PAIN IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Objective: To determine the clinical outcomes of acute abdominal pain andevaluation of symptoms and signs in children admitted in pediatric surgery department.Design: Cohort study. Place and Duration of study: This study was conducted in Departmentof Paediatric Surgery Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore between August 2010 to August 2012.Patients and methods: Children aged 2 to 14 years who presented to emergency departmentwith complaint of acute abdominal pain of less than 5 days duration and admitted in pediatricsurgery department were included. Presenting symptoms, signs, hospital course of patientsand discharge diagnosis were recoded. Data was analyzed by SPSS. Results: Out of 73104patients who were seen in Paediatric emergency 1420 (1.94%) were referred for surgicalevaluation. Out of these 157 children were admitted. Six patients left against medical adviceso 151 patients were studied. Patients were divided into acute appendicitis, non-specificpain abdomen and miscellaneous categories on the basis of discharge diagnosis. Acuteappendicitis was diagnosed in 61(40.4%) patients. The patients who were admitted and nocause of pain abdomen could be found in them, were included in non-specific pain abdomengroup. NSPA group had 39 (25.8%) patients. Rests of the 51 (33.8%) patients were includedin miscellaneous group. Anorexia, fever, pain in right lower quadrant, tenderness in right iliacfossa, guarding, rebound tenderness and tachycardia were all significantly higher in patientswith acute appendicitis. Conclusion: Most of the children with acute abdominal pain wouldnot require surgery. Detailed history and thorough physical examination are cornerstone of thediagnosis.