Acute Surgical Illness Research Articles

Acute surgical illness in patients with sickle cell anemia: K. A. Kudsk, R. F. Tranbaugh, and G. F. Sheldon. Am J Surg 142:113–117, (July), 1981

Acute surgical illness in patients with sickle cell anemia: K. A. Kudsk, R. F. Tranbaugh, and G. F. Sheldon. Am J Surg 142:113–117, (July), 1981

Acute Surgical Illness in Patients With Sickle Cell Anemia

Acute abdominal pain frequently accompanies sickle cell crisis. The character of this pain may be difficult to discriminate from acute surgical processes such as acute cholecystitis or appendicitis. Seven patients with sickle cell disease presenting with abdominal pain underwent surgery. Review of the medical records demonstrated a characteristic pattern of presentation consistent from crisis to crisis. When patients with known sickle cell disease present with symptoms of abdominal pain, (1) the character of the symptoms, (2) precipitating events, (3) white blood cell count, (4) bilirubin, and (5) fever should be compared with those characteristics in previous crises. Deviation from previous patterns suggests an illness caused by problems other than sickel cell crisis.

Acute surgical illness in patients with sickle cell anemia

Acute abdominal pain frequently accompanies sickle cell crisis. The character of this pain may be difficult to discriminate from acute surgical processes such as acute cholecystitis or appendicitis. Seven patients with sickle cell disease presenting with abdominal pain underwent surgery. Review of the medical records demonstrated a characteristic pattern of presentation consistent from crisis to crisis. When patients with known sickle cell disease present with symptoms of abdominal pain, (1) the character of the symptoms, (2) precipitating events, (3) white blood cell count, (4) bilirubin, and (5) fever should be compared with those characteristics in previous crises. Deviation from previous patterns suggests an illness caused by problems other than sickel cell crisis.

Hypertension: Spectrum of problems and guidelines for management

Hypertensive patients may present to the emergency department with one of three general problems: high blood pressure due to labile hypertension, chronic hypertension, accelerated hypertension, or a hypertensive emergency; side effects from antihypertensive drugs; or acute medical or surgical illness whose management may be affected by hypertension or by drugs taken for hypertension. We describe these problems and recommend an approach to each that is appropriate in the emergency department.