ABSTRACT
Hypotension and/or Tachycardia ■ Bleeding-perforated viscus, ruptured aortic aneurysm,
aortic dissection, ruptured spleen or solid organ (kidney, liver)
■ Inflammatory response syndrome or sepsis-necrotizing fasciitis, secondary peritonitis, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, acute pancreatitis
heart failure, mesenteric infarction
Altered Mental Status ■ Cerebral hypoperfusion-aortic hypoperfusion, ruptured
aortic aneurysm, myocardial infarction, advanced sepsis ■ Severe metabolic derangement-spontaneous bacterial peri-
tonitis, advanced sepsis, necrotizing panniculitis, mesenteric infarction
■ Hypoxemia-pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, sepsis
Tachypnea and Low Oxygen Saturation ■ Pulmonary embolism ■ Heart failure ■ Myocardial infarction
ical examination findings point to specific life-threatening diagnoses in patients with abdominal pain. The presence of these findings should alert interns to a potentially harmful situation for the patient.
