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This article provides summary information pertaining to the disease / condition of Abdominal Pain. This information was extracted from selected U.S. Government resources. Links to related conditions are also provided.

Abdominal Pain
Abdominal Pain

MedlinePlus: Abdominal Pain
Services and providers for Abdominal Pain in the U.S.

Abdominal Pain
The splanchnic and the cerebrospinal are the two neural pathways available for transmission of Abdominal Pain. Pacinian corpuscles and free nerve endings in the walls of the viscera are the splanchnic afferent nerve receptors. They are sensitive only to stretch and spasm. By contrast, receptors of the cerebrospinal nerves are sensitive to pressure, friction, cutting, burning, and any other stimulus that can be appreciated by skin. In the dorsal root ganglia the splanchnic and cerebrospinal cell bodies are side by side. Their proximal fibers also terminate in close proximity within the spinal cord. The close relationship of these anatomic pathways may account for the fact that severe visceral Pain, such as rapid distention of a viscus, may "spill over" into somatic segments (viscerosensory and visceromotor reflexes) in the absence of somatic nerve irritation. Understanding of "spillover" Pain is essential for accurate diagnosis of Abdominal Pain.

Abdominal Pain
Treatment depends on the cause. The key is knowing when it s just a minor problem like a mild stomach ache or when it s something worse. Pain that persists can be a sign of a medical condition or illness. Very severe Abdominal Pain usually needs immediate medical care.

Clinical Trial: Treatment of Functional Abdominal Pain in Children: Evaluation of Relaxation/Guided Imagery and Chamomile Tea as Therapeutic Modalities
Functional bowl disorders are defined as variable combinations of gastrointestinal symptoms that are not readily explained by structural or biochemical abnormalities. In children, these typically encompass irritable bowel syndrome and recurrent Abdominal Pain of childhood, two closely related disorders that reflect similar pathophysiologic processes. Both of these functional disorders are pervasive in children and possibly precede symptoms that persist into adulthood. These also account for considerable medical expense and morbidity resulting in school absenteeism. Existing therapies are limited, and the lack of success frequently frustrates parents, families, and physicians. The purpose of this pilot project is to explore the use of alternative medicine modalities to treat functional Abdominal Pain relying on those that address currently accepted pathophysiologic models of functional bowel disorders. Available evidence indicates 3 major mechanisms for these syndromes: altered intestinal motility, altered intestinal sensory thresholds, and psychosocial factors. Recurrent Abdominal Pain occurs in 10 to 30 percent of children and adolescents, and evidence suggests that many children with recurrent Abdominal Pain ultimately develop symptoms compatible with irritable bowel syndrome in adulthood. As many as 68% of school children suffering from recurrent Abdominal Pain have symptoms compatible with the diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome in adults. Colonic motility studies suggest exaggerated colonic motor function in patients with Abdominal Pain compared to controls, increased perception of Abdominal Pain following balloon distention of the rectum, and anxiety and depression compared to healthy children in the community. The approach to therapy including reassurance, fiber, and antispasmodics has not been effective in the long-term management of a recurrent Abdominal Pain in childhood.

Search of: (NCCAM) [SPONSOR] (abdominal pain) [CONDITION] - List Results - ClinicalTrials.gov
Treatment of Functional Abdominal Pain in Children: Evaluation of Relaxation/ Guided Imagery and Chamomile Tea as Therapeutic Modalities

ATSDR - ToxFAQs™: Thallium
ATSDR - ToxFAQs™: Thallium

Obscure Abdominal Pain
Obscure Abdominal Pain

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Abdominal pain
Abdominal Pain that occurs during menstruation may be from menstrual cramps or it may indicate a problem in a reproductive organ. This includes conditions such as endometriosis (when tissue from the uterus is displaced to somewhere else like the pelvic wall or ovaries), uterine fibroids (thick bands of muscular and fibrous tissue in the uterus), ovarian cysts , ovarian cancer (rare), or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) -- infection of the reproductive organs, usually from a sexually transmitted disease.

Abdominal Pain
Abdominal Pain

Management of Postoperative Pain - UPPER ABDOMINAL SURGERY - Cholecystectomy
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy involves peritoneal insufflation of CO 2 gas. Invariably, residual CO 2 causes postoperative Abdominal Pain that may refer to the shoulder secondary to continued diaphragmatic irritation. It has been shown that active aspiration of insufflating gas at the conclusion of the operation results in less discomfort postoperatively ( Fredman et al., 1994 ).

Chronic abdominal pain in children.
In the review process, the following were exclusion criteria: non-English, nonpediatric, nonrecurrent/ nonfunctional/ nonchronic Abdominal Pain, small study (sample size < 5), no original data, letter to the editor, study on Helicobacter pylori , and study subjects not baseline-healthy (e.g., patients with sickle cell disease). The studies regarding H pylori were excluded because the literature regarding H pylori had been reviewed recently by a North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition committee, and a practice guideline had been published. All titles were reviewed by a single reader; 10% of the excluded articles were reviewed by 2 committee members, with 100% agreement regarding exclusion criteria. Of nonrejected titles, abstracts were read by a single reader, and additional exclusions were made. Articles were read by at least 2 readers. After review, 94 articles were included in the evidence review.

FloridaHealthFinder.gov | Health Encyclopedia | Abdominal pain
point tenderness ) or whether it is diffuse. He or she will be checking to see if the Pain is related to inflammation of the peritoneum (called peritonitis). If the health care provider finds evidence of peritonitis, the Abdominal Pain may be classified as an "acute abdomen", which may require surgery right away.

Division of Parasitic Diseases - Dientamoeba fragilis Infection
Division of Parasitic Diseases - Dientamoeba fragilis Infection

healthfinder.gov — Abdominal Pain, Short-Term
Just about everyone has had a "stomachache" at one time or another. But severe Abdominal Pain, also called acute, is nothing to be ignored. it often indicates a serious problem. Follow this chart for more information about Abdominal Pain that has recently started.

FloridaHealthFinder.gov | Health Encyclopedia | Abdominal pain diagnosis
Abdominal Pain can represent many different types of problems besides a simple stomachache. It can even be from Pain in the pelvis (like menstrual cramps), back (like

Chapter 37. Pain Management
According to the National Center of Health Statistics, there were 100,385,000 total visits to US emergency departments in 1998. The most frequent principal reason for visits was stomach or Abdominal Pain (5.9 million). 4 Despite studies suggesting that the early administration of Pain medication is safe and does not interfere with, and may actually facilitate, the ability to make a correct diagnosis, recent surveys of emergency room physicians and surgeons indicate that the majority withhold analgesics in patients presenting with an acute abdomen. Wolfe et al 2 surveyed 443 emergency medicine physicians and found that although 85% believe that the conservative administration of Pain medication did not change important physical findings, 76% choose not to give an opiate analgesic until after the examination by a surgeon. Graber et al 5 surveyed 131 practicing surgeons in Iowa and found 67% agreed that Pain medications interfere with diagnostic accuracy, and 82% cited their concerns about diagnostic accuracy when deciding to withhold Pain medication.

What I need to know about Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Abdominal Pain or discomfort in the abdomen, often relieved by or associated with a bowel movement

Chronic abdominal pain in children.
Education of the family is an important part of treatment of the child with functional Abdominal Pain. It is often helpful to summarize the child's symptoms and explain in simple language that although the Pain is real, there is most likely no underlying serious or chronic disease. It may be helpful to explain that chronic Abdominal Pain is a common symptom in children and adolescents, yet few have a disease. Functional Abdominal Pain can be likened to a headache, a functional disorder experienced at some time by most adults, which very rarely is associated with serious disease. It is important to provide clear and age-appropriate examples of conditions associated with hyperalgesia, such as a healing scar, and manifestations of the interaction between brain and gut, such as the diarrhea or vomiting children may experience during stressful situations (e.g., before school examinations or important sports competitions).

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