Acute abdominal emergencies associated with pregnancy

The pregnant patient with acute abdominal pain poses a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma for the clinician. Is the cause for the pain due to the pregnancy, or is it merely associated with (and perhaps exacerbated by) the pregnancy? A delay in diagnosis and intervention may have a significant impact on maternal and fetal survival. The clinician must have a thorough understanding of maternal physiology and an appreciation of fetal development (viability). In life-threatening emergencies the mother's health and well-being take precedence over that of the fetus, unless her life is forfeit due to terminal injury, in which case the window of salvage opportunity for the fetus may be as narrow as 4 to 5 minutes.