Emergency abdominal radiography.
Plain abdominal radiographs are rarely diagnostic when the patient presents with acute abdominal pain. Emergency physicians, therefore, should be aware of the appropriate indications and limitations of abdominal films in this setting and should be skilled in their interpretation to exclude the rare cases of pneumoperitoneum, pneumobilia, hepatic-portovenous gas, small and large bowel obstruction, toxic megacolon, volvulus and intramural gas.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Western Pennsylvania Hospital, Pittsburgh.
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D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004635:Emergency Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal