Student study notes from paramedic coursework (2023 to 2024), not medical advice. Verify clinical values against current references and your local protocols.
| EMS etiologies | Setting: ER |
Acute abdomen refers to the sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, often signaling a medical emergency that requires urgent diagnosis and sometimes surgical intervention. Common causes include gastrointestinal perforation, peptic ulcer disease, mesenteric ischemia, acute cholecystitis, appendicitis, diverticulitis, pancreatitis, and abdominal hemorrhage. In pregnant patients, tubo-ovarian abscess, ruptured ovarian cyst, or ectopic pregnancy are common etiologies. Vascular causes, such as ischemic bowel from mesenteric artery occlusion, also present with diffuse pain, bowel distention, and bloody diarrhea. Diagnosis is aided by imaging (CT scans or ultrasound), and treatment often involves surgical removal of affected bowel regions. Early administration of pain relief is recommended and does not delay diagnosis.