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Query: UMLS:C0000727 (acute abdomen)
 3,084 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Eighty-seven children less than 16 years of age with recent spinal cord injury were studied during a 7-year period (1970--1976). Serum calcium concentration was determined at least once in each of 76 of these patients, and in 18 (23.6%) it was above 11 mg%. Fifteen of the 18 patients had quadriplegia and 3 had paraplegia. In 5 patients, the first symptoms of acute hypercalcemia simulated those of an acute abdomen. Two of the 5 patients underwent exploratory laparotomy, with negative findings. The incidence of urinary stones was 55% (10 of the 18), a difference from the control population of only 18%. Hypercalcemia in the acute phase was almost always accompanied by decreased renal function characterized by inability to concentrate the urine and low corrected creatinine clearance. The treatment with saline infusions and furosemide was usually effective.
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PMID:Hypercalcemia in children with spinal cord injury. 71 6

During 1980, 30 patients underwent successful operations for ascending thrombosis of the abdominal aorta in its three forms: low (below the inferior mesenteric artery, 11 patients); middle (above the inferior mesenteric artery, 6 patients); and high (at the level of the renal arteries, 13 patients). An angiogram that reveals high ascending thrombosis of the abdominal aorta is paradoxically more favorable than one that reveals middle or low ascending thrombosis of the abdominal aorta. In fact, the patient with a juxtarenal thrombosis has already overcome two of the three phases that constitute the critical moments of potential failure of the collateral circulation. Progressive ascending thrombosis with a poor prognosis and a rapidly downward course can cause acute ischemia with paraplegia of the legs and intestinal infarction. Most patients die suddenly in the emergency or intensive care unit from paraplegia, acute abdomen, or anuria; the latter is due to further progressive thrombosis with obstruction of the orifice of the renal arteries. On the basis of the angiogram only (apart from subjective symptoms), ascending thrombosis of the abdominal aorta constitutes an absolute indication for surgical treatment.
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PMID:Natural history of ascending thrombosis of the abdominal aorta. 684 5

A review of 1300 patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), over a period of 14 years, revealed 12 patients with an 'acute abdomen'. Seven events occurred during the initial admission, ranging from 10 days to 9 months from injury, and five during readmission of 'chronic' SCI patients. Four were in the acute stage 10-30 days from injury, all with peptic ulcer perforations. The remainder had either an intestinal obstruction, appendicitis or peritonitis. All of the neurological levels were above T6 except for one patient who had a low level paraplegia. The classical signs of an 'acute abdomen' may be missing in such patients thus delaying diagnosis by 1-4 days. The most important signs were autonomic dysreflexia, referred shoulder tip pain, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, increased spasticity and abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting. Less importance was given to the classical signs of abdominal tenderness, abdominal muscle rigidity, rebound, fever and of leukocytosis. Prompt diagnosis and treatment will minimise morbidity and mortality.
Paraplegia 1995 Dec
PMID:The acute abdomen in spinal cord injury individuals. 892 9