The Opioid Epidemic in the United States
There is an epidemic of opioid abuse. This article discusses the history of opioid use. Abusers of opioids are at great risk of harm. There have been increasing legislative efforts…
Abdominal Pain Mimics
Emergency department providers have become skilled at triaging patients with abdominal pain requiring surgical interventions. Abdominal pain mimics, medical conditions that cause the sensation of abdominal pain without abdominal abnormality,…
Acute Abdominal Pain in the Bariatric Surgery Patient
Obesity is present in epidemic proportions in the United States, and bariatric surgery has become more common. Thus, emergency physicians will undoubtedly encounter many patients who have undergone one of…
Abdominal Pain in the Immunocompromised Patient—Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Transplant, Cancer
Patients with human immunodeficiency virus, those who are posttransplant, and those undergoing chemotherapy are populations who are immunocompromised and present to the emergency department with abdominal pain related to their…
Abdominal Pain in the Geriatric Patient
Abdominal pain in the elderly can be a challenging and difficult condition to diagnose and treat. The geriatric population has significant comorbidities and often takes polypharmacy that can mask symptoms….
Pediatric Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is a common complaint that leads to pediatric patients seeking emergency care. The emergency care provider has the arduous task of determining which child likely has a benign…
Abdominal Vascular Catastrophes
Abdominal vascular catastrophes are among the most challenging and time sensitive for emergency practitioners to recognize. Mesenteric ischemia remains a highly lethal entity for which the history and physical examination…
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a commonly encountered chief complaint with a high morbidity and mortality. The emergency physician is challenged with prompt diagnosis, accurate risk assessment, and appropriate resuscitation of…
The Vomiting Patient
Vomiting and abdominal pain are common in patients in the emergency department. This article focuses on small bowel obstruction (SBO), cyclic vomiting, and gastroparesis. Through early diagnosis and appropriate management,…
