Acute Abdomen: Differential Diagnosis and Surgical Approach - A Brief Review

Résumé fourni par la source

Acute abdomen is one of the most frequent and challenging medical and surgical emergencies, accounting for up to 10% of emergency-department visits and for substantial morbidity and mortality when diagnosis and intervention are delayed. It is characterised by sudden-onset or progressively worsening abdominal pain, often accompanied by systemic signs such as fever, tachycardia or hypotension, and may evolve to sepsis and shock. The most common aetiologies include inflammatory processes notably appendicitis and cholecystitis, obstructive, perforative and vascular causes. Clinical reasoning must integrate detailed anamnesis, thorough physical examination and complementary tests. Among the latter, Computed Tomography (CT) is the gold standard for clarifying complex situations, whereas ultrasonography remains important for pregnant women, children and populations in whom radiation exposure should be minimised. In the therapeutic setting, the advent of laparoscopic surgery marked a turning point by enabling less operative trauma, fewer complications and faster functional recovery, although laparotomy remains indispensable in diffuse peritonitis or haemodynamic instability. Structured care protocols and a multidisciplinary approach have proved essential to reduce variability in management and optimise resources. The combination of experienced clinical assessment, high-performance diagnostic methods and individualised surgical techniques is therefore central to better outcomes and patient safety.

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