[Hospitalisation criteria for the acute abdominal pain patient seen at home or in an ambulatory setting].
Dealing at patient's home with an acute abdominal pain may be particularly challenging for the primary care physician. In such a clinical situation, the part of laboratory and radiological investigations is increasing in the diagnostic process. The decision to keep the patient at home based on a clinical evaluation alone may represent a great medical responsibility for the physician. Emergency departments (ED) are of course in charge of investigating such patients with a wide panel of investigation techniques. But these structures are chronically overcrowded resulting frequently in long and difficult periods of waiting. Based on a literature review, a description of useful clinical symptoms and signs is summarized and should help the decision process for the orientation of the patient.
Schreyer
N
N
Centre interdisciplinaire des urgences, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne. Nicolas.Schreyer@chuv.ch
Yersin
B
B
D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003657:Decision Making; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans