Causes of acute abdomen, preferred imaging methods, and prognoses in geriatric patients presenting to the emergency department with abdominal pain

Abstract

Acute abdominal pain is one of the most common reasons for admission to the emergency department in the geriatric population 1 . With the increase in the elderly population, elderly patients constitute an increasing proportion of patients presenting to the emergency department due to acute abdominal pain 2 . However, this situation causes additional difficulties for emergency physicians. In an elderly patient with abdominal pain, the clinical manifestations may be very different and nonspecific 3 .However, the diagnosis may be difficult or delayed in elderly patients due to the different manifestations of the disease, cognitive problems, and communication difficulties, which may increase overall mortality. Therefore, the early and accurate diagnosis of acute abdomen in elderly patients is critical and significantly affects the outcomes of these patients.The aim of this study was to investigate the diseases frequently detected in elderly patients diagnosed with acute abdomen in the emergency department, the imaging methods used for the diagnosis, and the prognosis of the patients. METHODSThis retrospective study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Malatya Turgut Özal University Clinic Ethics Committee (2021, decision no. 83). All patients aged 65 years and older who were diagnosed with acute abdomen and hospitalized in the Malatya Training and Research Hospital emergency department between June 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, were included in the study. The number of patients diagnosed with acute abdomen was 175. No patient was excluded from the study for any reason. The images and reports of radiological examinations, reasons for hospitalization, treatments applied, length of hospital stay, and patient outcomes hospitalized in the emergency room were retrieved from the