Abstract
Complaints referable to the abdomen are common emergency department presentations. Many of these conditions prove to be benign and self-limited, whereas others are potentially catastrophic. Because serious and benign intra-abdominal conditions share many relatively nonspecific symptoms, it is often difficult to identify patients who have life-threatening problems early in the course of their disease. Apart from relieving the patient's symptoms, the emergency physician's primary role is to detect and stabilize life-threatening conditions in a rapid and cost-effective manner.
MeSH terms
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Abdomen, Acute / diagnosis
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Abdomen, Acute / etiology*
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Abdomen, Acute / therapy*
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Emergencies
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Esophageal Diseases / diagnosis
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Esophageal Diseases / physiopathology
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Esophageal Diseases / therapy
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Gallstones / complications
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Gallstones / diagnosis
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Gallstones / physiopathology
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Gallstones / surgery
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Humans
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Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / complications
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Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / therapy
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Pancreatitis / complications
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Pancreatitis / diagnosis
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Pancreatitis / therapy
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Peptic Ulcer Perforation / complications
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Peptic Ulcer Perforation / diagnosis
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Peptic Ulcer Perforation / epidemiology
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Peptic Ulcer Perforation / therapy
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Prognosis
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Rupture, Spontaneous / diagnosis
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Rupture, Spontaneous / physiopathology
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Rupture, Spontaneous / therapy