Abdominal pain in children.

Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Keck USC School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 755 Woodward Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91107, USA. mmccollo@usc.edu

Abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea are common chief complaints in young children who present in emergency departments. It is the emergency physician's role to differentiate between a self-limited process such as viral gastroenteritis or constipation and more life-threatening surgical emergencies. Considering the difficulties inherent in the pediatric examination, it is not surprising that appendicitis, intussusception, and malrotation with volvulus continue to be among the most elusive diagnoses. This article reviews both the self-limited and more life-threatening gastrointestinal conditions that may present in the emergency department.

PMID: 16487787 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]