General and Operative Surgery · MU Sofia

38. Acute surgical abdomen – basics. Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Inside: 6 sections · 4 tables · 16 flashcards · 2 min

Topic 38 of 42 in the MU Sofia syllabus for General and Operative Surgery (Medicine, Year 3). The free AceMed note covers it in 6 sections, about 115 words (2 min of reading), with 16 flashcards.

In this note

  1. Acute Surgical Abdomen – Basic Concept, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
  2. I. Definition
  3. II. Classification of Acute Surgical Abdomen (by cause)
  4. III. Symptoms of Acute Surgical Abdomen
  5. IV. Diagnosis
  6. V. Treatment Principles

I. Definition

Acute abdomen: Any sudden, severe intra-abdominal condition characterized by pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity, requiring emergency surgical consideration.

IV. Diagnosis

1. Clinical Evaluation:

History: Onset, nature of pain, progression, GI symptoms, gynecological history (women)

Physical Examination: Inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation

2. Laboratory Tests:

3. Imaging:

V. Treatment Principles

🎯 The goal is to stabilize the patient and determine surgical need quickly.

1. Initial Resuscitation:

IV fluids (e.g., Ringer’s lactate or NS)

Oxygen

NPO (nothing by mouth)

NG tube if vomiting/distention

Foley catheter for urine output monitoring

2. Supportive Therapy:

Pain control (usually after diagnosis made to avoid masking symptoms)

Antiemetics

Broad-spectrum IV antibiotics (e.g., 3rd-gen cephalosporins + metronidazole)

3. Definitive Treatment:

🩺 Topic 40: Acute Surgical Abdomen – Obstructive Causes

Continue reading free

The whole note, all 6 sections, is free with an AceMed account, with its 16 flashcards. Premium adds flashcard recall, highlights and Ask AI.

Start freeAlready a member? Open the note