title: Nonobstetric abdominal pain and surgical emergencies in pregnancy.
abstract: The focus of this article is the evaluation and management of pregnant patients with nonobstetric abdominal pain and surgical emergencies. The anatomic and physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy can cause difficulties in interpreting patients' signs and symptoms in emergency departments. This article reviews some of the common causes of nonobstetric abdominal pain and surgical emergencies that present to emergency departments and discusses some of the literature surrounding the use of imaging modalities during pregnancy. After a review of these changes and their causes, imaging modalities that can be used for the assessment are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 110 South Paca Street, 6th Floor, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. laurad98@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Diegelmann
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000291:Adnexal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D000465:Algorithms; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002764:Cholecystitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery