Prognosis of elderly patients with non-specific abdominal pain.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the long term outcome of patients over 65 years presenting with acute non-specific abdominal pain.


METHODS
District general hospital.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort survey.


METHODS
43 patients with non-specific abdominal pain, median age 75.5 years, presenting in 1985.


METHODS
Case notes were reviewed and a questionnaire sent to the patients' general practitioners to assess long term outcome.


RESULTS
There was little evidence that these patients subsequently developed or died from a disease requiring surgery. However, this patient group did have a significantly poorer five year survival than a representative control group because of cardiorespiratory disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-specific abdominal pain in elderly patients should not be regarded as harmless but may have medical rather than surgical implications.
Smyth
E
E
St John's Hospital, Livingston, West Lothian, United Kingdom.
Stonebridge
P A
PA
Freeland
P
P
Macleod
D A
DA
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate