Author, Donkey, Bureaucrats, Administrators
53,803
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
Acute abdomen generally refers to rapid onset of abdominal pain. However a number of causes of abdominal conditions are not necessarily painful and it may therefore better be defined as ‘any situation involving an acute onset of clinical signs referable to intra-abdominal pathology’1. It has a variety of causes, often requiring surgery as definitive treatment.
==Introduction==
Acute abdomen generally refers to '''rapid onset of abdominal pain'''. However a number of causes of abdominal conditions are not necessarily painful and it may therefore better be defined as '''‘any situation involving an acute onset of clinical signs referable to intra-abdominal pathology’'''<ref>Ettinger, Stephen J., Feldman, Edward C. (2005), '''Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine''' (Sixth Edition), ''Elsevier Saunders''</ref>. It has a variety of causes, often requiring surgery as definitive treatment.
Causes include but are not limited to:
Causes include but are not limited to:
:'''Gastrointestinal (GI)''' – [[Haemorrhagic Gastroenteritis|gastroenteritis]], [[Intestinal Obstruction|foreign bodies]], [[GDV|gastric dilatation and volvulus]], perforations, [[intussusception]], [[Gastric Neoplasia - Dog and Cat|neoplasia]], [[Hernia|hernias]], vascular compromise (e.g. mesenteric torsion), mesenteric artery thrombosis
:'''Pancreatic''' – [[pancreatitis]], abscess, ischaemia, [[Exocrine Pancreatic Neoplasia - Dogs and Cats|neoplasia]]
:'''Hepatic''' – rapid hepatomegaly, gallbladder [[Biliary Tract Obstruction|obstruction]]/necrosis/[[Biliary Tract Rupture|rupture]], hepatic abscess, portal vein thrombosis, acute hepatitis/cholangiohepatitis, liver lobe torsion, cholecystitis
:'''Splenic''' – torsion, ruptured mass, abscess, infarction, neoplasia
• Urinary – obstruction due to tumours/calculi/urethritis, bladder rupture, urethral tear, pyelonephritis, nephroliths, ureteroliths, acute renal failure, renal ischaemia, nephritis, uroabdomen
• Urinary – obstruction due to tumours/calculi/urethritis, bladder rupture, urethral tear, pyelonephritis, nephroliths, ureteroliths, acute renal failure, renal ischaemia, nephritis, uroabdomen
• Genital – prostatitis, prostatic abscess, pyometra, uterine/ovarian torsion, testicular torsion, ovarian cyst/neoplasia, uterine rupture, uterine/prostatic neoplasia.
• Genital – prostatitis, prostatic abscess, pyometra, uterine/ovarian torsion, testicular torsion, ovarian cyst/neoplasia, uterine rupture, uterine/prostatic neoplasia.
Largely dependent on underlying causes and the speed at which the animal is stabilised and the underlying cause identified. The provision of enteral support (through the placement of feeding tubes if necessary) is paramount to the recovery of animals with acute abdomen.
Largely dependent on underlying causes and the speed at which the animal is stabilised and the underlying cause identified. The provision of enteral support (through the placement of feeding tubes if necessary) is paramount to the recovery of animals with acute abdomen.
1. Ettinger, Stephen J., Feldman, Edward C. (2005), Textbook of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Sixth Edition), Elsevier Saunders.
1. .
2. House, A., Brockman, D. (2004), Emergency management of the acute abdomen in dogs and cats: 2. Surgical treatment, In Practice; 26:530-537
2. House, A., Brockman, D. (2004), Emergency management of the acute abdomen in dogs and cats: 2. Surgical treatment, In Practice; 26:530-537
3. Beal, MW (2005), Approach to the acute abdomen, Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2005 Mar;35(2):375-96.
3. Beal, MW (2005), Approach to the acute abdomen, Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2005 Mar;35(2):375-96.