Attention: "sharp stomach"!

The term "acute abdomen" is a composite symptom complex that characterizes sudden acute diseases of the abdominal cavity or its mechanical injuries, which most often require urgent medical intervention. Usually the first assessment of the patient's condition with a sharp abdomen is given by the doctors already at the first examination and collection of anamnesis. Here the correct differential diagnosis is important (the most likely diagnosis, since for transportation it will be necessary to transport to a medical institution and additional diagnostic procedures) and prompt assistance.

The peculiarity of the acute abdomen is that the patient's condition worsens with every hour. Acute pain in the abdomen is only evidence of the onset of the pathological process, and even if they cease for a while, this does not mean that the situation has improved.

A similar condition in the patient may arise due to the following reasons:

1. Mechanical abrasion of the abdominal cavity;
2. Inflammatory course of pathological processes in the abdominal cavity (eg, peritonitis);
3. Violation of the integrity of the hollow body;
4. Intestinal obstruction ;
5. Problems with venous and arterial blood circulation in the peritoneum;
6. Hemorrhage into the abdominal cavity;
7. Pathological processes in the female reproductive system (ovarian rupture, ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cyst, etc.).

Symptoms of the acute abdomen are quite obvious, patients do not miss them, because the painful sensations are usually very strong, they are not removed by analgesics, forced to take a forced position or vice versa, often change it (depends on the mental perception of the situation), paralyze the working capacity. Patients are in a state of painful shock.

When examining a patient with the symptom "acute abdomen" it is important to pay attention to such signs: the patient's position, adequacy of the psyche, the presence of dehydration, the color of the skin, the frequency and quality of the stool. After a general examination, it is necessary to measure the temperature (in the armpit and rectally), to determine the parameters of hemodynamics. Then the abdomen is examined - it is taped and listened, noise is determined, the stomach volume is set (bloated, hollowed), the rectum is examined for the presence of edema, overhanging walls, bleeding. If all the signs indicate an "acute abdomen," the patient must be urgently taken to a medical institution to clarify the diagnosis - whether it is the perforation of some organ, either a blockage, or intra-abdominal bleeding. Analgesics should not be given until hospitalization - they can erase the symptomatic picture and lead to incorrect diagnosis.

If during the hospitalization or before the call of the doctor the patient has a pain shock, then it is necessary to carry out measures to remove him from this state.

Upon arrival at the medical institution , the cardiovascular system is examined to determine if a bleeding index is a shock index (determines the percentage loss of blood). An x-ray and ultrasound examination is also done.

If the "acute abdomen" is diagnosed in women, it is necessary to pay attention to a possible pregnancy, the date of the last menstruation, the presence of an intrauterine device, the presence of concomitant gynecological diseases.

When you receive a reliable picture of the pathology inside the peritoneum, diagnostic laparoscopy is done - examination through a small incision that reveals a sick organ or other problems. Usually, immediately after laparoscopy, a wider incision is made, the abdominal cavity is washed , the cause of the disease is eliminated. At the same time, if necessary, the patient is given a blood transfusion, glucose is injected to maintain the condition.

With timely treatment in a medical institution, a quick and correctly diagnosed diagnosis, most patients are saved by life.