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Functional abdominal pain syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. [4] Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGD) are common medical conditions characterized by recurrent and persistent gastrointestinal symptoms caused by improper functioning of the enteric system in the absence of any identifiable organic or structural pathology, such as ulcers, inflammation, tumors or masses.
[1] [2] Patients observe these symptoms and seek medical advice from healthcare professionals. Because most people are not diagnostically trained or knowledgeable, they typically describe their symptoms in layman's terms, rather than using specific medical terminology. This list is not exhaustive.
Murphy's sign has a high sensitivity and negative predictive value, although the specificity is not high. [2] However, in the elderly the sensitivity is markedly lower; a negative Murphy's sign in an elderly person is not useful for ruling out cholecystitis if other tests and the clinical history suggest the diagnosis.
More time and resources are used on older patients with abdominal pain than on any other patient presentation in the emergency department (ED). [29] Compared to younger patients with the same complaint, their length of stay is 20% longer, they need to be admitted almost half the time, and they need surgery 1/3 of the time. [30]
In medicine, Carnett's sign is a finding on clinical examination in which abdominal pain remains unchanged or increases when the muscles of the abdominal wall are tensed. [1] [2] For this part of the abdominal examination, the patient can be asked to lift the head and shoulders from the examination table to tense the abdominal muscles.
Many patients get better and do not progress beyond this phase. A paralytic phase can follow if ischemia continues; in this phase, the abdominal pain becomes more widespread, the belly becomes more tender to the touch, and bowel motility decreases, resulting in abdominal bloating, no further bloody stools, and absent bowel sounds on exam.
Peritonitis is inflammation of the localized or generalized peritoneum, the lining of the inner wall of the abdomen and cover of the abdominal organs. [2] Symptoms may include severe pain, swelling of the abdomen, fever, or weight loss. [2] [3] One part or the entire abdomen may be tender. [1]
However, upper central abdominal pain is the most common symptom; the pain may be dull, vague, burning, aching, gnawing, sore, or sharp. [13] Pain is usually located in the upper central portion of the abdomen, [14] but it may occur anywhere from the upper left portion of the abdomen around to the back.