title: [Diagnosis and therapy of an acute abdomen].
abstract: Patients with signs of an acute abdomen continue to be a challenge for both the emergency physician and the intensivist. Clinical symptoms usually result from secondary peritonitis possibly progressing to intraabdominal sepsis. Critically ill patients need rapid diagnostic work-up and an interdisciplinary therapeutic approach. Among patients with secondary peritonitis, those with postoperative peritonitis (e.g., after anastomotic leakage) show a particularly high mortality because of unspecific symptoms. Beyond routine diagnostic procedures, patients with an acute abdomen often require a CT scan which helps to detect the septic focus, thereby often allowing an interventional source control. Therapy consists of three main elements: source control, broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy, and supportive intensive care medicine.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral-, Thorax-, Transplantations- und Kinderchirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Gießen, Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 7, 35392, Gießen, Deutschland, andreas.hecker@chiru.med.uni-giessen.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hecker
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hecker
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kipfmüller
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holler
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schneck
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Weigand
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Padberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hecker
mesh_terms: D000006:Abdomen, Acute / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004322:Drainage; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D061345:Early Medical Intervention; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents