[Acute abdominal pain in elderly patients evaluated in the emergency department at a tertiary level].
BACKGROUND
Life expectancy in México has increased in the last decades with a remarkable increase in geriatric population. Acute abdominal pain (AAP) in elderly people compared with young people has different clinical presentation because of the concomitant chronic diseases, the use of medications, history of abdominal surgeries and decrease in perception of pain and immunity.


OBJECTIVE
To know the cause and associated mortality of acute abdominal pain in geriatric patients who attend the emergency room.


METHODS
Geriatric patients' files with acute abdominal pain admitted from January 2004 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, presence of chronic diseases, use of medications, history of surgical procedures, definitive diagnosis causative of the symptoms and the associated mortality were recorded.


RESULTS
17 524 patients were admitted, of whom 324 (1.8%) were geriatric patients with AAP: 110 were men (36.9) and 214 were women (66%), with a mean age of 78 years (range 60 to 102 years). The most common causes of AAP were acute cholecystitis in 49 patients (15.1%), irritable bowel syndrome in 42 (12.9%), ulcerative syndrome in 40 (12.3%), intestinal obstruction in 35 (10.8%) and diverticulitis in 23 (10.8%). Nine patients died (2.7%).


CONCLUSIONS
In our hospital the most common cause of AAP in geriatric patients is related to biliary disease followed by functional gastrointestinal disorder and ulcerative syndrome. Mortality is low.
Servicio de Urgencias, Hospital Central Sur de Alta Especialidad, Petróleos Mexicanos, México, D. F., Mexico. josluiperez@hotmail.com
J L
JL
Pérez-Hernández
L T
LT
Teuffer-Carrion
E V
EV
Díaz-Aldana
S
S
Hernández-Guerrero
P
P
Morón-Ventura
M
M
Nieves-Durán
L
L
Rubio-Landa
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001660:Biliary Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013276:Stomach Ulcer / Q000150:complications