| [ Summary ] |
There are many emergency abdominal conditions in children. Among these conditions, intussusception, incarcerated inguinal hernia, Meckel's diverticulum, and malrotation of the small intestine are described in.
The sudden onset of symptoms, such as vomiting, abdominal pain and bloody stool are the characteristic findings of intussusception. Nonsurgical treatment is usually recommended for the early stages of this disease. Incarceration of the inguinal hernias is often seen within the first year of life. When incarceration occurs, local swelling is quite painful. Vomitting is common and all the major symptoms of obstruction may appear when the intestine is caught for several hours. Symptoms of Meckel's diverticulum vary with different complications. The clinical course seems similar to that of acute appendicitis. It can be identified by the use of an abdominal scan, using a 99 m-technetium. Malrotation of the intestine often causes a volvulus of the midgut. It sometimes leads to infarction of the entire midgut. A barium enema will show the cecum in the right upper quadrant, and verifies an incompletely rotated position. An emergency operation is usually recommended for this condition. |