Acute abdominal pain in women at an emergency department: predictors of chronicity.
BACKGROUND
Persistence of pain after acute abdominal pain has been encountered but predictors of chronicity are insufficiently known.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the course of acute abdominal pain and to explore whether chronicity is predicted by baseline demographic and clinical variables.


METHODS
A follow-up study was conducted on all consecutive women who had visited an emergency department of a secondary care teaching hospital for acute abdominal pain. After a mean of 2.3years 115 women (58%) completed questionnaires.


RESULTS
At follow-up 34 women (30%) still suffered from abdominal pain complaints for more than 3months the past year. Low education level (Exp(B)=4.21, p=0.017) and having experienced abuse before the age of 16 (Exp(B)=3.14, p=0.016) were significantly and independently associated with chronicity. No other socio-demographic or clinical factors predicted the outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
At a 2.3year follow-up period nearly one third of all women with acute abdominal pain still suffered from pain. Low education level and abuse at younger age showed to be risk factors for pain persistence.
Department of Gynaecology, Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC), P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands.
Philomeen Th M
PT
Weijenborg
Kim
K
Gardien
Boudewijn R
BR
Toorenvliet
Jos W S
JW
Merkus
Moniek M
MM
ter Kuile
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012306:Risk; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D055815:Young Adult