Flashcards in *The Acute Abdomen Deck (35)
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1
What causes RUQ acute abdo problems? (6)
Biliary colic
cholecystitis
cholangitis
Pneumonia
Musculoskeletal
liver abscess/ hepatitis
2
What is the acute abdomen?
a condition of severe abdominal pain, usually requiring emergency surgery, caused by acute disease of or injury to the internal organs.
3
What will most patients with RUQ pain have?
Gallstones
4
what symptoms/ signs can gallstones cause?
RUQ/ epigastric pain
Temperature
Jaundice
(depends on what type of problem the gallstones are causing)
5
Intermittent RUQ pain (which may radiate to the shoulder blade) with no temperature or jaundice?
Biliary colic
6
Constant RUQ pain (which may radiate to the shoulder blade) with a temperature but no jaundice?
Cholecystitis
7
Constant RUQ pain (usually), jaundice but no temperature?
Choledocholithiasis (presence of at least one gallstone in the common bile duct)
8
Constant RUQ pain with a temperature and jaundice?
Cholangitis
9
Constant epigastric pain which can radiate to the back and may or may not cause a temperature or jaundice?
Pancreatitis
10
What causes epigastric acute abdo problems? (5)
pancreatitis
Perf DU
AAA
Gastritis/ reflux
Oesophagitis
11
What in the history is usually found in a patient with pancreatitis?
Alcohol or gallstones sometimes
12
How is pancreatitis diagnosed?
Amylase more than 300
13
What tests are done on a patient with probable pancreatitis/
Amylase (more than 300 for diagnosis)
Scoring
USS (to look for gallstones)
CT (if you're unsure if a patient has pancreatitis)
14
What in the history can indicate a perforated DU?
Alcohol intake
NSAID use
15
Why do you need to take an erect x-ray for a patient with a suspected DU?
To look for air under the diaphragm
16
What presentation should make you suspect an AAA?
Severe epigastric pain radiating to the back with collapse
17
How is gastritis/ GORD/ oesophagitis diagnosed?
Upper GI endoscopy
18
What causes an acute abdomen in the LUQ? (3)
Splenic injury/ rupture/ infarct
Pneumonia
Musculoskeletal
19
What test should be done on a trauma patient to rule out abdominal injury?
CT
20
What history is usually present with spleen problems?
Splenomegaly or injury
21
What causes an acute abdomen in the flank areas?
Pyelonephritis
renal colic
musculoskeletal
22
Where does renal pain often radiate?
To the back
23
What can renal colic pain mimic?
A ruptured AAA
24
What wil urinalysis show in a patient with renal colic?
Blood in the urine
Leucocytes (if they have an infection)
25
What causes an acute abdomen in umbilicus?
Obstruction
Early appendicitis
AAA
Meckels
26
Elderly male, severe pain radiating to back, collapse, CV history?
AAA until proven otherwise - need an urgent CT
27
Presentation of obstruction?
Generalised abdo pain
Distended abdomen
vomiting
constipation
28
Causes of obstruction?
Hernia
Tumour
Previous surgery
29
What causes a suprapubic acute abdomen? (4)
UTI
Ovarian
Appendicitis
Diverticulitis
30
