[Gastrointestinal and hepatic emergencies in acute and emergency care]. / Gastrointestinale und hepatologische Notfälle in der klinischen Akut- und Notfallmedizin.

Acute gastrointestinal emergencies are one of the most common presentations to the emergency department. If the main symptom is acute abdominal pain, this is referred to as "acute abdomen". An acute abdomen demands urgent attention and treatment and can be caused by different pathologies (e.g., peptic ulcer disease, acute pancreatitis, diverticulitis). Hepatic emergencies include acute liver failure and acute-on-chronic liver failure. Due to the large number of possible differential diagnoses with variable clinical symptoms, rapid diagnosis of the underlying etiology of gastrointestinal and liver emergencies is a major challenge in daily clinical practice. A structured approach and prompt initiation of adequate diagnostic and treatment measures are essential in order to reduce mortality.

Favourable outcomes of conservatively managed acute abdomen associated with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUNDS: Abdominal pain is one of the most common symptoms of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Abdominal pain can vary from mild to severe and may present as acute abdomen. Severe abdominal pain in patients with MIS-C should be differentiated from surgical causes of acute abdomen to prevent unnecessary surgery. METHODS: The diagnosis of MIS-C was based on WHO and CDC recommended criteria. Records of children treated for MIS-C between September 2020 and January 2021 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: In a short time, we encountered seven patients who were diagnosed with MIS-C and showed acute abdomen findings. There were four male and three female patients. The median age was 9 years. Fever, abdominal pain and distension were present in all. The median duration of symptoms was 4 days. Five patients had general abdominal tenderness mimicking acute abdomen. Three patients had right lower quadrant tenderness mimicking acute appendicitis. After the initiation of immunomodulatory therapy and antibiotics, the physical examination findings were improved step by step in all. The median time to initiate oral feeding was 2 days. The median length of hospitalization time was 8 days. CONCLUSION: Serial abdominal examinations performed by the same surgeon enabled us to follow these patients conservatively and thus avoid unnecessary surgical intervention.

Diagnosing and managing acute abdominal pain in children.

ABSTRACT: Acute abdominal pain is a common complaint in children. The care of these patients is challenging for clinicians because presentation, diagnosis, and treatment are different in children than adults. This article describes the presentation, physical examination, diagnosis, and treatment of common causes of acute abdominal pain in children and discusses emerging trends in diagnosis and treatment.

CT-Guided Percutaneous Drainage of Pneumoperitoneum Presenting as Acute Abdomen.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous drainage (PD) in patients with iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum presenting as acute abdomen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, 16 consecutive patients (9 males, 7 females; median age, 67.5 [51-85] years) undergoing PD for managing acute abdomen caused by iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum between 2013 and 2019 were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were clinical signs of acute abdomen that was unresponsive to conservative management and pneumoperitoneum due to an iatrogenic cause after PD, observed using CT imaging. Volumetry of pneumoperitoneum was performed using computer-aided image segmentation. To evaluate the clinical outcome, the paired t-test was performed to analyze the course of pain intensity on the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS, 0-10). Patient records were reviewed to determine PD-related adverse events and median drain duration. RESULTS: The median pneumoperitoneum volume was 891.1 (127.7-3,677.0) mL. All PD procedures were successfully performed, with symptom relief and immediate abdominal decompression (mean segmental volume reduction, 79.8% ± 13.5). Acute abdomen symptoms were resolved, with significant improvement in pain intensity between the day of the PD procedure and the first day after the procdure (mean NPRS scores, 3.3 ± 1.9 vs 0.8 ± 1.0; P < .001). The median drain duration was 2 (1-3) days. No PD-associated adverse events were observed. After PD, 14 patients required only conservative management, whereas 2 patients with anastomotic leakage required additional surgery as they showed signs of persisting sepsis and generalized peritonitis. CONCLUSIONS: PD is a safe and suitable procedure for the management of symptoms in patients with iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum presenting as acute abdomen.

[The Acute Abdomen: Etiology and Clinical Presentation]. / Das akute Abdomen: Ätiologie und Klinik.

Abdominal pain is one of the most common complaints that lead to an emergency department visit. Depending on the interpretation of the definition, 20-40 % of these patients present with an acute abdomen. This term summarizes a variety of diseases that often occur in the abdominal cavity, mostly acute, and can be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The challenge for the physician is to differentiate a whole range of vital diseases from less urgent causes of complaints. Extra-abdominal differential diagnoses should also be considered. Initial diagnosis often requires a great deal of clinical experience.The targeted medical history and clinical assessment together with the selection of the appropriate technical investigation play a central role. The goal must be to move from symptom-based to causal therapy as quickly as possible and to clarify whether a patient needs to be referred to an emergency operation or whether there is time for further differential diagnostic measures. The prognosis of the acute abdomen often depends on the time latency until the definitive therapy is initiated. Rapid and determined action by the experienced initial examiner are important prerequisites for a favorable course of the disease process.

[Chinese expert consensus on multidisciplinary management of malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen].

Malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen refers to a non-perioperative acute abdominal disease caused by malignant tumors or caused by various anti-tumor treatments with acute abdominal pain as the main clinical manifestation. It is often critical and even life-threatening. For patients with malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen, the occurrence and development of tumors and the evolution of acute complications are often causal to each other. Therefore, diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen usually require the surgery-based multidisciplinary treatment (MDT). According to imaging features and access to medical resources, oncologists and surgeons, working with other relevant professional teams need to develop the most appropriate treatment strategy through hierarchical management based on different oncology assessments and treatment goals. Yet there is no consensus on diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen. Therefore, Chinese College of Surgeons, Chinese Society for Clinical Oncologists, Chinese Society of Multidisciplinary Team, and the Chinese Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery gathered multidisciplinary experts in China to discuss and develop the Chinese expert consensus on multidisciplinary management of malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen. This consensus consists of three parts, namely multidisciplinary diagnosis and evaluation, multidisciplinary prevention and treatment, and specific treatment of common malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen. The diagnosis and evaluation section mainly includes oncology, imaging diagnosis and surgical perioperative evaluation. The prevention and treatment section mainly includes the prevention of malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen, the principle of treatment based on surgery, anti-tumor therapy-induced acute abdomen, as well as the prevention and management of special biological types of malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen. The last part discusses specific treatment of malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen such as gastrointestinal obstruction (surgery, palliative care, endoscopic or interventional surgery), gastrointestinal perforation (perioperative and surgical treatment), gastrointestinal bleeding (medical treatment, endoscopic surgery, interventional surgery, and surgical treatment), biliary system-associated acute abdomen (treatment of acute cholangitis, acute cholecystitis, and gallbladder perforation), and rupture of liver cancer (general treatment, transarterial embolization, and surgical treatment). We hope this consensus will help clinicians to understand the multidisciplinary standardized diagnosis and treatment of patients with malignant tumor-associated acute abdomen and to serve as a practical reference.

Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children With Suspected Acute Abdomen: A Case Series From a Tertiary Hospital in Spain.

We describe 5 children with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, hemodynamic instability and suspected acute abdomen. This form of the disease has not been previously documented. Four of the cases were confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 1 probable. All of them were previously healthy and needed a pediatric critical care unit admission. The respiratory symptoms were not dominant or were absent. Also, fever was observed. Laboratory testing revealed lymphopenia and high levels of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin with D-dimer, ferritin and interleukin-6 usually elevated. Respiratory support and inotropic support were almost always necessary. In all of them, deterioration occurred on the day of admission.

Endovascular embolisation treatment in a rare acute abdomen spontaneous rectus sheath haematoma.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we aimed to review spontaneous rectus sheath hematoma (RSH) and the results of endovascular therapy in patients presenting with a rare acute abdomen. METHODS: We evaluated the patients with RSH because of acute abdominal pain and applied endovascular embolization treatment who were admitted to our hospital emergency department retrospectively between December 2016 and December 2018. RESULTS: Rectus muscle sheath bleeding is an extremely rare and urgent emergency intervention. In the etiology, chronic severe cough crises and trauma may be the cause of haemorrhage in the elderly patient group; spontaneous bleedings may be seen with the increase in the use of anticoagulants. In this study, a total of six patients, 53-95 years old (mean 75.5) endovascular embolization treatment was administered on who were admitted to our hospital with the diagnosis of RSH and long-term anticoagulant use. In our series, physical examination findings, laboratory values, computed tomography (CT), CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) findings were presented. The findings showed an active extravasation from the superficial circumflex iliac artery in two patients and the inferior epigastric artery in three patients. We had no bleeding focus in only one patient. An ultrasound-guided 5 Fr arterial sheath was placed on the side of the hematoma in the procedure. Then, the inferior epigastric artery and deep circumflex arteries were selectively catheterized using the Vertebral Diagnostic Catheter (5 Fr or 4 Fr). Superselective catheterization, with the help of microcatheter from the existing diagnostic catheter, was used to embolize the arteries and branches with active extravasation using a detachable coil. In the control angiographies performed after embolization, pathological staining disappeared, and complete embolization was achieved. There were no complications associated with the endovascular procedures. No active extravasation was detected in angiography examination, and inpatient follow-up, blood transfusion, antibiotics and analgesic support were performed in only one patient. However, it was ex as a result of reasons related to advance heart failure. CONCLUSION: RSH is a life-threatening condition that may cause acute abdominal pain, and endovascular embolization is a safe and effective treatment option that can be applied quickly in this patient group.

Bhutan's First Emergency Air Medical Retrieval Service: The First Year of Operations.

OBJECTIVE: The Bhutan Emergency Aeromedical Retrieval (BEAR) Team is the only helicopter emergency medical service in Bhutan. This study was performed to review the clinical cases cared for by the BEAR Team, ascertain the types of interventions that were performed, and determine the outcomes of patients evacuated in its first year of operations. METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study in which medical evacuations performed in the first year of operations were analyzed. The number of airlifts activated during the study period determined the sample size (171). Data were obtained from case logs and trip sheets. RESULTS: The BEAR Team provided services to all regions of the country in its first year. The overall survival rate was 73.1%. The most common intervention required was securing a definitive airway (n = 24). The top 3 conditions requiring air medical retrieval were sepsis, acute mountain sickness, and trauma. CONCLUSION: Helicopter emergency medical services are known to decrease the time to definitive treatment. This is particularly pertinent in Bhutan, given the scattered population distribution, long transport times, and distribution of medical resources and specialty care. This study is the first of its kind in Bhutan, and this can pave way to conduct more studies involving patients transported by air ambulance.

Efficacy of electroacupuncture on acute abdomen emergency care: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acute abdomen is a common disease in the emergency department (ED) and usually results in huge medical expenditure. To relieve abdominal pain effectively and reduce bed occupancy rate in emergency rooms, electroacupuncture is a practical method in the treatment of abdominal pain. METHODS/DESIGN: Five hundred patients will be randomly and evenly divided into experimental and control groups. Both groups should have their basic information taken and their bilateral acupuncture points ( Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST 36), Shangjuxu (ST37), Xiajuxu (ST39), Taichong (LR3), and Taibai (SP3)) will be intervened by electroacupuncture or vaccaria Seeds, in this clinical study. Electroacupuncture has been introduced to this experiment as an auxiliary technique. The experimental group will receive real electroacupuncture, but the control group will receive a placebo electroacupuncture in which transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation will not be turned on. After the intervention, we will evaluate the difference in abdominal pain, the length of stay at the emergent observation ward, and the proportion of revisits with abdominal pain. DISCUSSION: In Taiwan, medical expenditure is increasing annually because of the higher bed occupancy caused by acute abdominal pain in the hospital. We expect that the combined treatment of electroacupuncture and modern medical treatment will not only reduce bed occupancy and the length of ED stay but also effectively decrease the rate of readmission and revisits by 72 h. By means of electroacupuncture, the spiraling cost of health care can eventually be reduced. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03199495. Registered on 27 June 2017.

Neumatosis intestinal. Una causa poco frecuente de abdomen agudo / Intestinal pneumatosis. An uncommon cause of acute abdomen

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Reduction of intra-abdominal pain through transcranial direct current stimulation: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique to modulate cortical excitability and to induce neuronal plasticity. With a wide range of applications in neurological and psychiatric disorders, the efficiency of tDCS is also studied in the treatment of various pain conditions. Treatment with tDCS might accordingly provide pain relief for patients with acute or chronic pain and thus lead to an increase in quality of life. Moreover, applied as an adjunct therapy, tDCS can reduce help to reduce pain medication intake and accompanying adverse events. To this end, this review examines studies evaluating the efficacy of tDCS in pain relief in patients with intra-abdominal pain. METHODS: A structured search of the PubMed medical database was carried out to identify possibly relevant studies. Studies were compared in terms of treatment characteristics, general conditions, and results. Jadad scale was applied for quality analyses. RESULTS: Out of 289 articles that were found initially, 6 studies were identified that met eligibility criteria. Five out of 6 studies reported significant effects for pain reduction in different types of intra-abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that tDCS might be able to reduce intra-abdominal pain. However, more randomized-controlled trials with larger sample size are necessary to define clinically relevant effects as well as treatment characteristics such as duration of stimulation.

Rol de la laparoscopía diagnóstica en un departamento de emergencia / Importance of the diagnostic laparoscopy in an urgency care department

Diagnostic laparoscopy is a surgical diagnostic procedure used to examine the organs inside the abdomen by mean of an optic fiber. The patient with acute abdominal pain and with a not clearly etiology, can represent a great challenge at the moment to perform a definitive diagnosis at urgency. The paraclinic studies must be required considering the particular characteristics of each patient and its clinical presentation at the moment of the medical attention. Considering the more frequent indications for the laparoscopic approach, the diagnostic laparoscopy, occupies the third place after the acute appendicitis and the acute cholecistitis. The aim of this report was to consider a casuistic of 356 patients with acute abdominal pain of uncertain etiology, studied by the authors. Of these patients, the 88% were females. From the rsults obtained, it becomes evident that the video diagnostic laparoscopy proved to be an effective technique in the emergency department with benefit for the patients, mainly for acute cases

Dolor abdominal en paciente con antecedente de diverticulosis colónica / Abdominal pain in a patient with a history of colonic diverticular disease

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Lymphomas and acute abdomen - a set of case reports.

Surgical treatment of gastrointestinal solid tumors is the basic method with a curative potential. However, the first-line treatment modalities in lymphomas are systemic oncology therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation), radiotherapy or their combination. Surgery in lymphomas is predominantly associated with acute disease and dominantly, surgery is still used mainly in diagnosing lymphomas. Acute abdomen associated with lymphoma can be divided into 3 groups: bleeding, obstruction and perforation of GIT due to lymphoma. All these conditions might be caused by both gastrointestinal (extranodal) lymphomas or advanced nodal lymphomas that directly infiltrate or compress gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as well. Perforation is also often associated with the effect of systemic chemotherapy administration. When treating acute abdomen conditions caused by lymphomas, multidisciplinary cooperation with all participating experts is necessary. From the surgical point of view, minimizing the risk of postoperative complications is crucial to ensure the possibility of early systemic oncological treatment administration.

Primary epiploic appendagitis as an unusual cause of acute abdominal pain in a middle-aged male: A case report.

RATIONALE: Primary epiploic appendagitis (PEA) is a rare cause of acute abdomen caused by spontaneous torsion or venous thrombosis of epiploic appendices, it commonly manifests with acute lower quadrant pain, thus may mimic acute diverticulitis, appendicitis, or mesenteric infarction. PATIENT CONCERNS: In this case report, we report a 44 years old man who presented with persistent sharp pain in the left lower quadrant abdomen, Laboratory tests were mostly normal, contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) revealed a slightly high density shadow with fat foci in the middle was presented around the local descending colon, accompanied by the adjacent peritoneal thickening. DIAGNOSES: He was diagnosed with PEA as confirmed by an abdominal contrast enhanced computed tomography (CECT) scan. INTERVENTIONS: He was followed up in the clinic without any dietary restrictions, antibiotic or analgesic drugs use. OUTCOMES: The abdominal pain gradually subsided a week later, and there were no recurrence of the symptoms during follow-up. LESSONS: In our case, the diagnosis of PEA using CECT allows the patient to avoid surgery and other invasive treatment.