Abdominal pain is common and often handled as unimportant. Acute and harsh abdominal ache, though, is almost invariably an indication of intra-abdominal illness. It may be the only indication of the requirement for surgery. Gangrene and puncture of the bowel can happen less than 6 hours from start of symptoms in several situations (stoppage of the intestinal blood supply from a choking obstacle or an arterial embolus). Abdominal pain is of particular concerning in very young or very old patients and who have HIV infection or taking immuno-suppressants.
Abdominal pain is common and frequently unimportant. Acute and harsh abdominal ache, though, is almost always an indication of intra-abdominal illness. It may be the only indicator of the necessity for surgery. Gangrene and perforation of the gut can happen less than 6 hours from start of symptoms in several situations (stoppage of the intestinal blood supply from a choking obstacle or an arterial embolus). Abdominal pain is of special worry in very young or very old patients and who have HIV infection or taking immuno-suppressants.
Usual explanations of abdominal pain have some limitations. Infants, young children, and some elderly people may have difficulty in localizing the pain. While some patients, particularly older ones, are unemotional, whereas others exaggerate their symptoms.
