title: Assessment of the patient with acute abdominal pain.
abstract: Abdominal pain has many causes, from simple to complex presentations. Patients with abdominal pain may have a number of physiological and psychological needs. Nurses have a key role to play in patient assessment, history talking and management.
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Trauma, City University and Barts and the London NHS Trust. e.cole@city.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cugnoni
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000150:complications; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications; D015984:Causality; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000150:complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000150:complications; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000150:complications; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000150:complications; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000150:complications