CT in the diagnosis of nontraumatic acute abdominal pain: clinical cases

Abstract

Acute abdominal pain (AAP) is a clinical symptom complex that develops with injuries and acute surgical diseases of the abdominal organs. This condition is one of the most frequent causes of admission of patients to the hospital through the ambulance. Patients with AAP consist of a large and heterogeneous group at the same time due to the etiology and many variations of the clinical picture of this condition. The article presents the results of CT scan of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis in 5 patients with AAP admitted to the S.P. Botkin Moscow City Clinical Hospital emergency department during 2017–2018, without indication of the possible traumatic nature of the pathology. All patients underwent a primary surgeon examination and first-line medical imaging methods such as plane radiography and ultrasound. The selection criterion for inclusion in the search was the need for CT due to the lack of data obtained for diagnosis. Subsequently, the findings of the CT scan were compared with the final diagnosis in the electronic medical file of the patient concerned, to assess the contribution of CT data to the diagnostic process. In a group of 5 patients included in the study, the results of CT were the decisive step in the diagnostic process in 100% of cases. Therefore, the study emphasizes the importance of using CT in patients with AAP. Using this method allows you to complete a diagnostic search as soon as possible from the time the patient enters the hospital, to begin timely treatment.