Acute assessment of abdominal pain

Summary of changes

Following feedback on the 7th edition of the Standard Treatment Manual (2017), the RPHCM Editorial Committee endorsed the addition of gateway protocols for Acute Assessment protocols to direct health care professionals on criticality and differential diagnosis.

This protocol was adapted from the "abdominal pain" protocol and contains red flag indicators and differential diagnoses. Content relating to detailed abdominal assessment and these diagnoses (per quadrant) has been retained in the “abdominal pain” protocol in the general topics chapter. 

Primary references

  1. Expert Groups for Antibiotic, version 16 (2021) Antibiotic, Therapeutic Guidelines, accessed 24 April 2022.

  2. Horn AE and Ufberg JW (2011) 'Appendicitis, diverticulitis, and colitis', Emergency Medicine of Clinics North America, 29(2):347-68, doi:10.1016/j.emc.2011.01.002

  3. Privette TW, Carlisle MC and Palma JK (2011) 'Emergencies of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas', Emergency Medicine of Clinics North America, 29(2):293-317, doi:10.1016/j.emc.2011.01.008