Acute Abdomen: Clinical Assessment and Decision-Making

Abstract

Acute abdominal pain accounts for a majority of emergency surgery consultations and 4–5 % of all emergency department admissions. The presence of tenderness on palpation is a hallmark of potential acute abdominal problem of surgical importance. We as surgeons are increasingly losing our ability to diagnose acute abdominal conditions on clinical grounds. Modern abdominal imaging, interventional radiology, a better understanding of the natural history of many acute conditions, and more effective antibiotic treatments have certainly revolutionized our decision-making in emergency abdominal surgery; nevertheless, a careful history and clinical exam should still play a leading role in our approach to this exciting field of our clinical practice.