Abdominal Emergencies

Course overview

Objectives Identify organs and their location within the abdominal cavity Explain how the description of pain may help determine the mechanism of injury or nature of illness List key signs and symptoms of some of the most common abdominal emergencies Content Information Covered 1 Introduction 2 Epidemiology 1 Incidence 2 Mortality and morbidity 3 Risk factors 4 Prevention strategies 3 General pathophysiology assessment and management 1 Pathophysiology of abdominal pain 1 Bacterial contamination 2 Chemical irritation 3 Types of abdominal pain 2 Assessment findings 3 Focused history 4 Management and treatment plan Specific injuries and illnesses including causes assessment findings and management for each condition 1 Upper gastrointestinal bleeding 2 Lower gastrointestinal bleeding 3 Liver diseases 1 Hepatitis see infectious disease 2 Cirrhosis 3 Hepatic encephalopathy 4 Infectious disorders 1 Pathophysiology 2 Signs and symptoms 3 Peritonitis 4 Gastroenteritis 5 Ulcerative disorders 6 Irritable bowel syndrome 7 Inflammatory bowel disease 1 Ulcerative colitis 2 Crohns disease 8 Cholecystitis and biliary tract disorders 9 Pancreatitis 10 Appendicitis 11 Diverticulitis 12 Bowel obstruction 1 Definition 2 Small bowel obstruction 1 Causes 2 Pathophysiology 3 Morbidity and mortality 4 Signs and symptoms 5 Prehospital management 3 Large bowel obstruction 1 Causes 2 Pathophysiology 3 Morbidity and mortality 4 Signs and symptoms 5 Prehospital management 13 Hernias 14 Rectal foreign body obstruction 1 Passed from upper gastrointestinal tract 2 Introduced from anus 3 Signs and symptoms 4 Management