Vol. 2, Issue 3, Part A (2018)

Background and Objectives: The clinical presentation of abdominal pain and tenderness that often requires urgent surgical intervention is termed "acute abdomen." The objective of this study was to investigate the diagnosis and therapy of non-traumatic acute abdomen. 

Methods: From September 2017 to July 2018, a study was performed on 100 consecutive cases of non-traumatic acute abdomen and their management at the Department of General Surgery, Department of General Surgery, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Medical College, Puducherry, India. This study exclusively includes acute abdominal patients requiring surgical intervention, as reliable diagnosis is possible only under these conditions. 

Results: In this study, the retrocecal location of the appendix was the most frequently observed. Four of the twelve instances of intestinal blockage were attributable to obstructed hernias, whereas the remaining two were from post-operative adhesions. Three cases were attributed to sigmoid volvulus, one to intussusception, and one to a combination of both conditions. Three cases of blocked hernias were identified, including one obstructed right inguinal hernia and one obstructed epigastric hernia.

Conclusion: The aforementioned data indicate that acute abdominal pain often necessitates urgent medical intervention and poses a significant challenge for surgeons. In a study of 100 cases of acute abdomen, 37.33 percent of patients presented with acute appendicitis, while 45.83 percent exhibited perforation.