title: Nonspecific abdominal pain is a safe diagnosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess if a clinical diagnosis of nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) is safe and if patients with this initial diagnosis are likely to require further investigation or surgical intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  3323 patients admitted with NSAP from July 1990 to September 2012 utilizing a prospective database of all surgical admissions were included. Readmission over the period of the study and specifically within 30 days of their initial presentation was identified together with any invasive investigation or surgical intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  319 children (9.6%) were subsequently readmitted with abdominal pain at some point during the study period. Of these, 78 (2.3%) were readmitted within 30 days. 118 (3.5%) children subsequently had an operation or invasive investigation some point following their initial admission. Of these 33 (0.6%) had the procedure within 3 months of the initial admission. 13 patients had an appendicectomy within 3 months of the initial presentation. Of these histology confirmed appendicitis in 8 patients. This gives an overall incidence of "missed" appendicitis of 0.2 % (8/3323).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirms that a clinical diagnosis of nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) is safe in a pediatric population and the risk of "missing" appendicitis is only 0.2%. Patients and/or parents can be confidently reassured that the risk of missing organic pathology is very low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Paediatrics, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN.
authors.forename: David John Laurie
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Pennel
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Paediatrics, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goergen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Paediatrics, Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN. Electronic address: chris.driver@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Chris P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Driver
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: Abdominal pain; Appendicitis; Diagnosis; NSAP; Non-specific abdominal pain