digestive disorders
Acute Abdominal Pain
Causes of Acute Abdominal Pain
Pain can arise from many causes, including infection, inflammation, ulcers, perforation or rupture of organs, muscle contractions that are uncoordinated or blocked by an obstruction, and blockage of blood flow to organs. Immediately life-threatening disorders,which require rapid diagnosis and surgery, include Ruptured Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms None Perforation of the Digestive Tract None Blockage of blood flow to the intestine ( Acute Mesenteric Ischemia ) Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy None Serious disordersthat are nearly as urgent include Intestinal Obstruction None Appendicitis None Sudden (acute) inflammation of the pancreas ( Acute Pancreatitis ) Sometimes, disorders outside the abdomen cause abdominal pain. Examples include heart attack, pneumonia, and twisting of a testis (testicular torsion). Less common problems outside the abdomen that cause abdominal pain include diabetic ketoacidosis, porphyria, sickle cell disease, and certain bites and poisons (such as a black widow spider bite, heavy metal or methanol poisoning, and some scorpion stings). Abdominal pain in newborns, infants, and young children has numerous causes not encountered in adults (see table Abdominal Pain in Newborns, Infants, and Young Children ). 