Chronicization of non-traumatic acute abdominal pain in emergency department: Incidence and predictive factors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate incidence of chronicization of pain in patients suffering from acute non-traumatic abdominal pain and discharged from emergency department (ED). We conducted a retrospective study in an academic hospital ED between June 2013 and June 2014. Patients were selected on ED electronic database, and then contacted for a phone interview three months after discharge. The main outcome was a pain score up to 3/10 on a numerous scale, more than twice a month, three months after discharge from ED. Among the 440 patients completing inclusion criteria, 200 patients were contacted and gave their consent. Forty-two patients (21%) reported abdominal pain with an intensity more than 3/10 and with a frequency more than twice a month. Factors associated with pain chronicization where age (odds-ratio (OR) 1,02 IC95% [1,01–1,05] pear year and clinical gravity score at admission (OR 0,40 IC95% [0,21–0,75] pear level). One hundred and twenty two patients (61%) reported no pain during the three months of follow-up. One patient out of five is exposed to chronicization of his abdominal pain three months after discharge from ED. Age and clinical gravity score at admission are risk factors for pain chronicization. The lack of organic diagnosis (41%) was not found to be a risk factor for chronicization of pain in our study.