CPC: Causes Of Abdominal Pain

13.10.06

Acute abdomen: principles
• Intestinal obstruction - causes:
-Ileus.
§Vascular event.
-Obstruction.
§Intussusception.
§Volvulus.
§Hernial entrapment/incarceration.
§Due to tumours.

Complication of acute abdomen
• Peritonitis.
• Septicaemia.
• Shock:
-Definition.
-Types.
-Systemic inflammatory response syndrome.
Appendix
• Acute appendicitis.
• Threadworms.
• Carcinoma.
• Faecoliths.

Diverticular disease
• Pressure in large bowel.
• Effect of diet.
• Commonest in sigmoid colon.
• Weak points in wall.
• Diverticulosis and diverticulitis.

Chronic idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease
• Crohn's disease.
• Ulcerative colitis.
• Differences:
-Age/sex of index patients.
-Distribution.
-Wall involvement.
-Activity, granulomas.
-Complications.

Ovarian cancer
• 7000 new cases every year.
• Often presents insidiously i.e. later.
• Therefore, poor prognosis.
• Treatment difficult.
-Surgical clearance often not possible.
-Chemotherapy ~50%/year survival.
• Screening programme under discussion.