ABDOMINAL PAIN

 

DR SIMON ATTARD MONTALTO

 

 

History

 

A.     General

age, sex, temperature, health

 

B.     Pain

onset, frequency, progress

precipitants, influencing factors

where and radiation

nature

severity

 

C. Associations

frequency, dysuria, haematuria

vomiting (?bile), bowel habit

abdo distention

appetite

headaches, drowsiness

 

D Other

family history

psychosocial history

dietary history

drug history

 

Examination:

 

A.     General:

 

unwell, anaemia, bruises

dehydration

rashes

shocked (BP, pulse, perfusion)

respiratory status

 

B.     Specific:

 

distention, swelling

scars, bruises, fistulae

tenderness, guarding, rebound

bowel sounds

organomegaly, masses

herniae, gonads

perineum (PR)

vomitus, stool, urine

 

C.     Others:

 

chromosomal abnormality

ketoacidosis

lymphadenopathy

inborn error of metabolism

 


Differential Diagnosis

 

 

Neonates

Infants

Children

 

 

 

 

Infective:

septicaemia

gastroenteritis

gastroenteritis

 

hepatitis

hepatitis

hepatitis

 

 

abscess

abscess

 

 

pneumonia

infectious mononucleosis

 

 

 

 

Surgical:

atresias

adhesions

adhesions

 

malrotation

malrotation

appendicitis

 

volvulus

volvulus

Meckel's diverticulum

 

meconium. ileus

intussusception

intussusception

 

 

 

 

Trauma:

birth injury

accidental/NAI

accidental/NAI/violence

 

 

 

 

Urological:

UTI

UTI

UTI

 

cong anomaly

cong anomaly

stones

 

 

 

 

Inflammatory:

NEC

IBD

IBD

 

ischaemia

ischaemia

ischaemia

 

 

HSP

HSP

 

 

 

mesenteric adenitis

 

 

 

abdominal. migraine

 

 

 

(pancreatitis)*

 

 

 

 

Tumours:

teratoma

neuroblastoma

neuroblastoma

 

 

haematological

Wilms

 

 

 

leukaemia, NHL

 

 

 

 

Others:

Constipation

constipation

constipation

 

 

drugs

drugs

 

 

 

accidental ingestion

 

 

 

ketoacidosis

 

 

 

(inborn error of met.)*

 

 

 

(porrphyria)*

 

 

 

 

Psychogenic:

 

Munchausen BP

psychosomatic

 

 

 

Munchausen by proxy

 

Legend:UTI=urinary tract infection; NEC=necrotising enterocolitis; IBD=inflammatory bowel disease; HSP=Henoch Schonlein purpura,