Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department : Missed Diagnoses - 29/09/21

Doi : 10.1016/j.emc.2021.07.005

Maglin Halsey-Nichols, MD ^a,^⁎ , Nicole McCoin, MD ^b
^a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Houpt Building (Physician Office Building) Suite 1116, 170 Manning Drive- CB-7594, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7594, USA
^b Department of Emergency Medicine, Ochsner Medical Center, 1514 Jefferson Highway, New Orleans, LA 70121, USA

^∗Corresponding author.

Résumé

Abdominal pain is the most common chief complaint in the Emergency Department. Abdominal pain is caused by a variety of gastrointestinal and nongastrointestinal disorders. Some frequently missed conditions include biliary pathology, appendicitis, diverticulitis, and urogenital pathology. The Emergency Medicine clinician must consider all aspects of the patient’s presentation including history, physical examination, laboratory testing, and imaging. If no diagnosis is identified, close reassessment of pain, vital signs, and physical examination are necessary to ensure safe discharge. Strict verbal and written return precautions should be provided to the patient.

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Keywords : Abdominal pain, Return visits, Missed appendicitis, Missed cholecystitis, Missed diagnosis, Emergency department discharge instructions