acute abdomen
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abdomen
[ab´dah-men, ab-do´men]the anterior portion of the body between the thorax and the pelvis; it contains the abdominal cavity, which is separated from the chest area by the diaphragm. The cavity, which is lined with a membrane known as the peritoneum, contains the stomach, large and small intestines, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, gallbladder, urinary bladder, and other structures. Called also belly and venter. adj., adj abdom´inal.
Internal structures of the abdomen.
acute abdomen (surgical abdomen) an acute intra-abdominal condition of abrupt onset, usually associated with severe pain due to inflammation, perforation, obstruction, infarction, or rupture of abdominal organs, and usually requiring emergency surgical intervention.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
a·cute ab·do·men
any serious acute intraabdominal condition (for example, appendicitis) attended by pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity and for which emergency surgery must be considered.
Synonym(s): surgical abdomen
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
acute abdomen
A relatively nonspecific symptom complex, in which a patient is first seen in a "toxic" state, complaining of incapacitating abdominal pain, variably accompanied by fever, and leukocytosis; AA may also be defined as an acute intra-abdominal inflammatory process that may require surgical intervention. Appendicitis is the most common cause of an AA, but nearly 100 other conditions may present in a similar fashion, in particular, ruptured ectopic pregnancy in a fallopian tube, ruptured acute diverticulitis and acute mesenteric lymphadenitis.Acute abdomen aetiology
Infection
Amebiasis, hepatitis, falciparum malaria, pneumococcal pneumonia, rheumatic fever, salmonella gastroenteritis, staphylococcal toxemia, syphilis in “tabetic crisis”, trichinosis, TB, typhoid fever, viral enteritides, herpes zoster, infectious mononucleosis, Whipple’s disease.
Inflammation
Appendicitis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, SLE, mesenteric lymphadenitis, pancreatitis, peritonitis due to organ perforation, perinephric abscesses, pyelonephritis, ulcerative colitis, intestinal obstruction, rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, Henoch-Schönlein disease.
Intoxication
Black widow spider bite, heavy metals, mushrooms ischaemia.
Renal infarction, mesenteric arterial thrombosis.
Malignancy
Pain due to organ infarction, Hodgkin lymphoma classically associated with alcohol ingestion, leukaemia, lymphoproliferative disorders.
Metabolic disease
Adrenal insufficiency (Addisonian crisis), diabetic ketoacidosis, familial hyperlipoproteinemia, familial Mediterranean fever, hemochromatosis, hereditary angioneurotic oedema, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, acute intermittent porphyria, uremia, substance-abuse withdrawal.
Ob/Gyn
Twisted ovarian cyst, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease.
Referred pain
Pneumonia, MI, pleuritis, pericarditis, myocarditis, hematomata of the rectal muscle, renal colic, peptic ulcer, nerve root compression.
Trauma
Perforation/rupture (aortic aneurysm), spleen, bladder.
Segen's Medical Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
acute abdomen
A relatively nonspecific symptom complex, in which a Pt is first seen in a 'toxic' state, complaining of incapacitating abdominal pain, variably accompanied by fever, and leukocytosis; AA may also be defined as an acute intra-abdominal inflammatory process that may require surgical intervention; appendicitis is the most common cause of an AA; nearly 100 other conditions may present in a similar fashion, in particular, ruptured ectopic pregnancy in a fallopian tube, ruptured acute diverticulitis and acute mesenteric lymphadenitis.Acute abdomen etiology
- Infection
- Amebiasis, hepatitis, falciparum malaria, pneumococcal pneumonia, rheumatic fever, salmonella gastroenteritis, staphylococcal toxemia, syphilis in 'tabetic crisis,' trichinosis, TB, typhoid fever, viral enteritides, herpes zoster, infectious mononucleosis, Whipple's disease
- Inflammation
- Appendicitis, cholangitis, cholecystitis, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, gastroenteritis, hepatitis, SLE, mesenteric lymphadenitis, pancreatitis, peritonitis due to organ perforation, perinephric abscesses, pyelonephritis, ulcerative colitis, intestinal obstruction, rheumatoid arthritis, polyarteritis nodosa, Henoch-Schönlein disease
- Intoxication
- Black widow spider bite, heavy metals, mushrooms
- Ischemia
- Renal infarction, mesenteric arterial thrombosis
- Malignancy
- Pain due to organ infarction, Hodgkin's disease ('classically' associated with alcohol ingestion), leukemia, lymphoproliferative disorders
- Metabolic disease
- Adrenal insufficiency (Addisonian crisis), DKA, familial hyperlipoproteinemia, familial Mediterranean fever, hemochromatosis, hereditary angioneurotic edema, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, acute intermittent porphyria, uremia, substance abuse withdrawal
- Ob/Gyn
- Twisted ovarian cyst, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, PD
- Referred pain
- Pneumonia, MI, pleuritis, pericarditis, myocarditis, hematomata of the rectal muscle, renal colic, peptic ulcer, nerve root compression
- Trauma
- Perforation/rupture–aortic aneurysm, spleen, bladder
McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
a·cute ab·do·men
(ă-kyūt' ab'dŏ-mĕn)Any serious sudden intraabdominal condition (such as appendicitis) attended by pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity, and for which emergency surgery must be considered.
Synonym(s): surgical abdomen.
Synonym(s): surgical abdomen.
Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012
acute abdomen
A semi-formal term for a surgical emergency involving the abdominal contents in which the patient is suffering severe pain and often SHOCK. Common causes of acute abdomen include PERITONITIS from ruptured APPENDIX following appendicitis or perforated PEPTIC ULCER, and ruptured spleen or liver following injury. Urgent operative treatment is almost always required.Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
a·cute ab·do·men
(ă-kyūt' ab'dŏ-mĕn)Any serious acute intraabdominal condition with pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity and for which emergency surgery must be considered.
Medical Dictionary for the Dental Professions © Farlex 2012
Patient discussion about acute abdomen
Q. Uncomfortable in my left-lower abdomen. But it is not acute or dull pain at all. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable in my lower-left abdomen. I roughly guess it started summer in 2008. Certainly, it's not acute or even dull pain at all. But it makes me very uncomfortable when I sit on the chair. I can feel it by sitting on the chair. Such uncomfortableness seems to reside in somewhere between my left leg and abdomen. It is under my navel, and to the left, extending to the my left flank. Once again, I can sense it by touching something developing (With my fingers, I gently pressed that area and, I realized that there's a difference between pressing on the lower-left abdomen and the lower-right abdomen.) But it is not something swollen, and not a hard thing. I've never had the caecum removed. I'm 40 years old, East asian. I quitted smoking in early 90's. In Octocber, 2008 I found my blood pressure pretty good (I can't remember it, though). My life is quite sedentary (I'm a graduate student.) I guess I spend most of my daily time on the chair. Thanks for any opinion in advance.
A. hi '''i do have the same thing all what i do is keep it higher than my hart and after a lettel time it well come back to normal and i advice you to go see a d'r when you have the rhit time for it.......and happy holly day and happy 2009..lolo21
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