[Acute abdominal pain as cause of hospitalisation].
BACKGROUND
Our aim was to investigate the extent, management and use of resources in patients admitted for acute abdominal pain.


METHODS
A prospective analysis of patients admitted as emergencies with acute abdominal pain of less than seven days duration was performed during two 3-month periods in 2000 and 2001.


RESULTS
483 patients, 262 women and 221 men with median age 50 years were registered. Median duration of pre-hospital symptoms was 16.5 hours. At discharge, non-specific abdominal pain was the most frequent diagnosis (26%), followed by acute appendicitis (12%), acute biliary disease (12%), ileus and ureterolithiasis (both 6%) and diverticulitis (5%). 31% of the patients presented during normal working hours, whereas 69% were admitted during nighttime and/or weekends. Only 23% of the patients needed an acute operation. The overall mortality was 0.4%. The median stay in hospital was two days (0-165 days). 43% of the patients were discharged in less than one day, and 48% had no need for any medical treatment. The patient group occupied 17% of the beds and resources in our surgical department.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with acute abdominal pain is a heterogenous group that occupies a great deal of a surgical department's resources. It might be cost-effective to examine these patients in an observational unit supervised by well-trained surgeons.
Bjerkeset
Tormod
T
Kirurgisk avdeling, Sykehuset Levanger, 7600 Levanger. tormod.bjerkeset@c2i.net
Havik
Steinar
S
Aune
Knut-Erik Moen
KE
Rosseland
Arne
A
D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data