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Pediatric Chronic Abdominal Pain: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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Chronic Abdominal Pain

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Abstract

Children with chronic abdominal pain continually mystify healthcare professionals each day in a multitude of settings such as PCPs offices, emergency rooms, and specialty clinics. The utilization of medical dollars and the missed days of school secondary to abdominal pain are astronomical. The etiology of chronic abdominal pain in the pediatric population is hard to quantify. Up to 51 % of the time, no known cause is identified. Review of the potential differential diagnoses for abdominal pain can be vast. As clinicians, the history and physical remains paramount in identifying red flags that could suggest organic disease. Children with FAPS can exhibit a multitude of symptoms often characterized as functional dyspepsia, IBS, or abdominal migraine as well as isolated abdominal pain.

Postoperative abdominal pain is variable in intensity and presentation depending on the nature of the operation, the exact location of the procedure, the techniques used for surgery, and the underlying health/psychological status of the child. Patient-controlled epidural anesthesia (PCEA) has been shown to be effective in pediatric aged patients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Pain Free Professionals, Seattle, WA, 98121, USA

    Dawn A. Sparks D.O.

  2. Pediatric Gastroenterology, Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine, Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital, 102 Highland Avenue, Suite 305, Roanoke, VA, 24013, USA

    Monica P. Garin-Laflam M.D.

  3. Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, D300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Joseph P. Cravero M.D.

Authors
  1. Dawn A. Sparks D.O.
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  2. Monica P. Garin-Laflam M.D.
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  3. Joseph P. Cravero M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dawn A. Sparks D.O. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Director, Carolinas Pain Institute and Clinical Research Center, Professor of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest University, School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

    Leonardo Kapural

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Sparks, D.A., Garin-Laflam, M.P., Cravero, J.P. (2015). Pediatric Chronic Abdominal Pain: Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. In: Kapural, L. (eds) Chronic Abdominal Pain. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1992-5_11

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