title: Abdominal pain in special populations.
abstract: Evaluation and management of acute abdominal pain in special populations can be challenging for the emergency physician. This article focuses on two specific populations: patients with altered immunologic function and postprocedural patients. Recognition of life-threatening abdominal diseases may be delayed in immunosuppressed patients because of the atypical presentations of these conditions. In postprocedural patients, evaluation of acute abdominal symptoms requires an understanding of the complications of procedures often performed by others. The unique characteristics of abdominal pain in these two populations and, more specifically, which diseases to consider and how to use appropriate testing to detect life-threatening conditions, are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA. esther.chen@emergency.ucsf.edu
authors.forename: Esther H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mills
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004630:Emergencies; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*