title: Abdominal surgical emergencies in the puerperium.
abstract: Since surgical emergencies in the puerperium are rare, surgeons and obstetricians amass little experience of them. There may be considerable delay in making a diagnosis, firstly, because the abdominal symptoms are thought to be related to the pregnancy, and, secondly, because the signs are rarely convincing in contrast to the symptoms. Any of the common surgical emergencies may occur in pregnancy and the puerperium and there are some others that appear to be a particullar problem of the puerperium.
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003108:Colonic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications; D004381:Duodenal Ulcer / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000175:diagnosis; D010439:Peptic Ulcer Perforation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014102:Torsion Abnormality