Acute abdominal conditions which frequently necessitate emergency
interventions and/or surgery include visceral perforations i.e., gastric and duodenal
ulcer, bleeding and rarely, ingested foreign bodies causing tissue damage, e.g., button
batteries. However, the differential diagnosis (DD) of patients presenting with acute
abdominal pain is much broader than this, including many benign conditions as well.
Acute gastroenteritis, acute gastritis and peptic ulcer disease are benign and mostly
temporary diseases which may be relieved with simple treatments and follow-up.
Gastrointestinal bleeding (with or without esophageal varices) may cause hemorrhagic
shock unless expedient management is pursued. Ingested foreign bodies can constitute
emergency conditions with tissue damage, especially when lodged in a specific site.
The most important thing about button batteries is the prevention of their ingestion.
Complications increase in direct proportion to time wasted.
Keywords: Acute abdominal pain, Esophageal varices, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Peptic ulcer, Surgical abdomen, Visceral perforation.
