Clinical Profile of Non-traumatic Acute Abdominal Pain Presenting to Emergency Department

Introduction: Acute abdominal pain is a common clinical presentation encompassing various conditions, some not requiring surgical intervention.Elderly patients often exhibit atypical symptoms and prolonged pain durations, complicating diagnosis.Traditional diagnostic methods, reliant on clinical signs, often left 25% of cases undiagnosed.Advances in radiological imaging have significantly reduced non-specific diagnoses, enhancing accuracy and patient management.Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical profile and aetiological spectrum of diseases presenting as atraumatic acute abdomen in the emergency department.Materials and methods: A single-centre, descriptive hospital-based study was conducted at PRS Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, from January 2022 to January 2024.Ethical approval was obtained.Data from 400 patients were documented, including pain onset, duration, type, physical exams, blood tests, and radiological findings (ultrasound, CT, MRI).Patients were followed until discharge, and diagnoses were recorded.Results: Among 400 cases, ureteric colic was the most common diagnosis (22.5%), followed by acid peptic disease and acute cholecystitis (17.5% each), acute appendicitis (15%), and acute intestinal obstruction (10%).Less frequent conditions included uncomplicated hernia and acute gastroenteritis.Pain severity correlated significantly with age, duration, onset, localisation, radiation, comorbidities, and symptoms.Younger patients and those with shorter pain durations reported higher pain severity.Pancreatitis, ischemic heart disease, jaundice, and urinary symptoms were associated with severe pain.Specialty referrals showed no significant correlation with pain severity. Conclusion:The study underscores the complexity of acute abdominal pain and highlights the importance of systematic and tailored diagnostic approaches to improve patient.