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 taking and management.
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency (A&E)/Trauma, City University and Barts and the London NHS Trust. e.cole@city.ac.uk
authors.forename: E
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: D000005:Abdomen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D000208:Acute Disease; D015984:Causality; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000379:methods; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing