Abdominal pain without bruising or sign of trauma: pancreatic injuries in children is difficult to predict

Abstract

Abdominal pain is a common complaint in children visiting emergency departments (EDs). The etiologies differ by age groups, and the most common ones are constipation, gastroenteritis, and viral syndrome. Among these etiologies, it is vital to distinguish benign gastrointestinal conditions from those requiring emergency surgery. Pancreatic injuries due to trauma, a cause of abdominal pain, are rare in children but have high morbidity and mortality. Also, pancreatic injuries can present with nonspecific manifestations, and delayed diagnosis and consequent delayed surgical treatment increase the risk of pancreasspecific morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, history taking in children is dependent on parents and children’s expression about their symptoms, thus, is inherently less reliable. Therefore, finding a clue about symptoms and obtaining reliable 외상의 징후 없이 복통으로 내원한 소아: 췌장 손상 예측의 어려움