Abdominal pain is a common complaint that leads to pediatric patients seeking emergency care. The emergency care provider has the arduous task of determining which child likely has a benign cause and not missing the devastating condition that needs emergent attention. This article reviews common benign causes of abdominal pain as well as some of the cannot-miss emergent causes.
Key points
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Avoid diagnostic momentum, especially when evaluating functional constipation and functional gastrointestinal disorders.
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Bilious vomiting in a neonate is a surgical emergency until proven otherwise.
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Always consider gonadal torsion in a child with lower abdominal pain.
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Do not overlook the potential for psychosocial causes of abdominal pain.
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Constipation is not an innocuous condition.
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