Common abdominal emergencies in children

Pediatric abdominal complaints are common presentations in emergency departments (EDs), and emergency physicians are challenged every day with a vast array of gastrointestinal disorders. Because children can not fully describe their pain or how they feel, the emergency physician must use clinical experience, accurate history taking, diligent physical examinations, and diagnostic studies to help differentiate well children from children with significant illness. This article facilitates the emergency physician's understanding of common abdominal emergencies in children.