Acute abdominal pain can occur for many reasons. It is difficult to determine what is the cause of the victim's complaints, since there are many different systems in the abdominal cavity (Fig. 7-8).
Causes of acute abdominal pain
Pain can have different origins:
Gastrointestinal tract.
Food intoxication, constipation, stomach ulcer, hyperacidity, appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix), cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder), trauma.
Genitourinary system.
Menstruation, abortion, pregnancy related problems, sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, urinary tract infections, pyelonephritis, urinary retention, etc.
Signs and symptoms of acute abdominal pain
The following signs and symptoms indicate conditions that require qualified medical care:
• colic, heartburn, acute pain, ongoing
more than one hour.
They may be accompanied by the following signs and symptoms:
• nausea and vomiting;
• bloating;
• “hard” stomach;
• fever;
• diarrhea;
• bleeding from the genitals;
• difficulty urinating and/or pain during sex
release;
• blood in stool; may be red or black.
A woman who has a normal sex life and
has not had menstruation for one month and also complains of pain in the lower abdomen; she may be pregnant.
Remember that a heart attack can be described as pain in the upper abdomen. Never ignore acute abdominal pain, always treat it as a serious illness.
First aid for acute abdominal pain
Place the victim in a comfortable position.
• The victim should not eat, drink or
take any medicine.
• Call an ambulance immediately.
First aid for moderate abdominal pain
• Eating soft, non-spicy foods.
• Avoidance of aspirin, coffee, alcohol and
other irritants.
• Warm heating pad on the stomach.
• Treatment as for diarrhea.