patient care report for abdominal pain epigastric pain

If the cause of epigastric pain is GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, or peptic ulcer, your doctor will recommend you proton pump inhibitors, antibiotics, and pain killers to overcome it. It takes a long time to recover. It the cause of stomach pain is esophagitis or gastritis, anti-inflammatory medication can treat it.

Full Answer

Should epigastric pain be diagnosed in the emergency department?

Approach to Patients with Epigastric Pain Epigastric pain is an extremely common complaint in the emergency department and has an associated broad differential diagnosis. In the differential it is important to consider cardiac causes that may be mistaken for gastrointestinal disorders as well as various serious intra-abdominal causes.

What are the treatment options for epigastric abdominal pain?

For epigastric abdominal pain related to infection, a doctor will prescribe antibiotics if bacteria are the cause. Surgery or endoscopic procedures may be necessary for some causes of epigastric pain, such as hiatal hernia, esophagitis, gallbladder disease, and gastric ulcer. Most cases of epigastric pain are related to the digestive system.

What happens if you have pain in your epigastric region?

Failure to comply may result in legal action. Epigastric pain is felt in the middle of the upper abdomen, between the ribs and the bellybutton. The pain may be mild or severe. Pain may spread from or to another part of your body. Epigastric pain may be a sign of a serious health problem that needs to be treated.

Is epigastric pain a differential diagnosis?

This … Epigastric pain is an extremely common complaint in the emergency department and has an associated broad differential diagnosis. In the differential it is important to consider cardiac causes that may be mistaken for gastrointestinal disorders as well as various serious intra-abdominal causes.

How do you assess a patient with abdominal pain?

The American College of Radiology has recommended different imaging studies for assessing abdominal pain based on pain location. Ultrasonography is recommended to assess right upper quadrant pain, and computed tomography is recommended for right and left lower quadrant pain.

What assessment findings might you find in a patient complaining of abdominal pain?

Abdominal assessment may reveal a mass in the right lower quadrant that is tender to palpation, or signs of peritoneal irritation such as rebound, involuntary guarding and abdominal wall muscle spasms. Any movement of the patient (e.g., bumping the stretcher) may elicit severe pain.

How do you describe epigastric pain?

Epigastric pain is pain that is localized to the region of the upper abdomen immediately below the ribs. Often, those who experience this type of pain feel it during or right after eating or if they lie down too soon after eating.

What questions should you ask a patient with abdominal pain?

Some other important questions to ask the patient include:Have you ever had this pain before? ... Are there associated symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting and/ or diarrhea?Have you noticed any black stools or blood in your stool? ... Have you noticed blood in your urine?Do you feel as though you have had a fever?More items...

How do you document an abdominal assessment?

Documentation of a basic, normal abdominal exam should look something along the lines of the following: Abdomen is soft, symmetric, and non-tender without distention. There are no visible lesions or scars. The aorta is midline without bruit or visible pulsation.

What should be included in an abdominal assessment?

Assessing your patient's abdomen can provide critical information about his internal organs. Always follow this sequence: inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation. Changing the order of these assessment techniques could alter the frequency of bowel sounds and make your findings less accurate.

What is the most common cause of epigastric pain?

Gastritis is a common cause of epigastric pain. It is often worse after eating and will generally improve with proton pump inhibitors. Test for the presence of Helicobacter pylori. Peptic ulcer tends to cause acute or chronic gnawing or burning pain.

What are the common causes of epigastric pain?

Epigastric pain risk factors include a history of peptic ulcer disease, consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including aspirin, heavy alcohol consumption, and overeating.

Where is the epigastric region of the abdomen?

In anatomy, the epigastrium (or epigastric region) is the upper central region of the abdomen. It is located between the costal margins and the subcostal plane.

What is the nursing diagnosis for abdominal pain?

Abdominal Pain Nursing Care Plan 1 Nursing Diagnosis: Acute Abdominal Pain related to stomach spasms, secondary to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as evidenced by abdominal pain, high pain score rating, verbalization of pain or discomfort in the abdominal region, abdominal guarding, and cramping.

When examining a patient with abdominal pain the nurse in charge should assess?

If the patient is experiencing abdominal pain, the nurse should ascertain its location, duration, intensity, factors that make it worse, and factors that make it better.

What information would you want to obtain when taking history on a client with abdominal pain?

Let's discuss the questions to ask your patient when taking a detailed history. These questions should focus on aspects that are most pertinent to abdominal pain or symptoms....How to obtain a detailed patient history for abdominal painPast medical history.Past surgical history.Family history.Social history.

What Do I Need to Know About Epigastric Pain?

Epigastric pain is felt in the middle of the upper abdomen, between the ribs and the bellybutton. The pain may be mild or severe. Pain may spread f...

What Causes Epigastric Pain?

The cause of your pain may not be known. The following are common causes: 1. Inflammation of your stomach, liver, pancreas, or intestines 2. Heart...

What Other Signs and Symptoms May I Have With Epigastric Pain?

Signs and symptoms will depend on what is causing your pain. 1. Nausea, vomiting, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea 2. Loss of appetite, weight l...

How Is Epigastric Pain Diagnosed and Treated?

Your healthcare provider will feel your abdomen to see if it is tender or rigid. He may change or stop any medicine you are taking that is causing...

How Can I Manage My Symptoms?

1. Keep a record of your symptoms. Include when the pain starts, how long it lasts, and if it is sharp or dull. Also include any foods you ate or a...

Call 911 For Any of The Following

1. You have any of the following signs of a heart attack: 1. Squeezing, pressure, or pain in your chest 2. and any of the following: 1. Discomfort...

When Should I Seek Immediate Care?

1. You have severe pain that starts suddenly and quickly gets worse. 2. You cannot have a bowel movement and are vomiting. 3. You vomit or cough up...

When Should I Contact My Healthcare Provider?

1. You have a fever or chills. 2. You have yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes. 3. You vomit often or several times in a row. 4. You...

Why does my abdomen hurt?

Abdominal pain can be due to issues with the GI tract. It is essential to proactively address nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea as clinically appropriate. Patients with abdominal pain may not be taking in the necessary amount of fluids or foods. Their urinary and/or bowel output may also be lacking.

Why is it important to report bowel movement characteristics and frequency accurately?

It is essential to report bowel movement characteristics and frequency accurately. It also ensures accurate intake and output recording. Ensure adequate hydration; may require intravenous fluids. Patients with abdominal pain may have a diminished appetite, be NPO, or not want to drink fluids.

What is a nursing diagnosis?

A nursing diagnosis is a basis for establishing and carrying out a nursing care plan. After performing a proper assessment, formulate a nursing diagnosis based on problems associated with abdominal pain. This will be your clinical judgment about the patient’s health conditions or needs.

Is abdominal pain a medical emergency?

Abdominal pain can be a minor issue that is easy to resolve or a medical emergency. Many different things can cause abdominal pain and their pathophysiology can differ widely. Abdominal pain can is classified as either acute or chronic.

Can you fix abdominal pain with a laxative?

Just in general, for any abdominal pain patient, you have to find what the cause is, because then you can fix that, and then it will fix the pain. This could vary. We could address it with, if it’s constipation causing abdominal pain, then a laxative, if we have electrolyte balances, we’re going to fix that.

Can abdominal pain be referred?

Additionally, abdominal pain can be referred pain, which can complicate the clinical picture even further.

What does it mean when you have epigastric pain?

Pain may spread from or to another part of your body. Epigastric pain may be a sign of a serious health problem that needs to be treated.

What causes pain in the stomach?

Certain foods may cause your pain, such as alcohol or foods that are high in fat. You may need to eat smaller meals and to eat more often than usual. Drink liquids as directed. Ask how much liquid to drink each day and which liquids are best for you. Do not have drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine.

How to keep track of pain?

Also include any foods you ate or activities you did before the pain started. Keep track of anything that helped the pain. Eat a variety of healthy foods.

What are the symptoms of a swollen stomach?

Signs and symptoms will depend on what is causing your pain. Nausea, vomiting, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. Loss of appetite, weight loss, feeling of fullness as you start to eat. Movement relieves the pain or makes it worse, or only certain positions are comfortable.

What is the pain of epigastric pain?

Epigastric abdominal pain is a common chief complaint that may arise from a wide spectrum of causes, and therefore treatment will likely be completely different depending on the etiology. It is therefore paramount to be methodical in characterizing the pain in order to obtain the correct diagnosis. Questions that address onset (gradual or sudden), location, duration (intermittent or constant), character (dull, achy, throbbing, stabbing, sharp, etc.), frequency, radiation, associated symptoms (presence of nausea, vomiting, fevers, chills, diarrhea, etc.), and exacerbating or relieving factors are all pivotal to narrowing the differential diagnosis.

Why does my epigastric pain turn yellow?

Pulmonary causes for epigastric pain such as pneumonia, may be found in people with immune compromise (elderly, co-morbid conditions such as DM, chronic steroid use, HIV co-infection) and are likely to present with sudden onset of fevers, chills, cough productive of yellow-green-brown sputum, and general malaise.

What test is used to determine if you have pancreatitis?

Obtain an HIV test if considering opportunistic infections. Acute pancreatitis can be evaluated by obtaining a lipase level (more specific than amylase), BMP to evaluate renal function and possibly electrolyte imbalances (sodium, potassium), and CBC to evaluate WBC, hemoglobin, and hematocrit level.

What are the symptoms of ischemia?

Most common symptoms are abdominal or back pain. For more details, see AAA. For details of intestinal ischemia, see generalized abdominal pain. Malignancy, such as esophageal, gastric or pancreatic cancer, usually presents with ongoing epigastric pain and is likely to be associated with weight loss, other constitutional symptoms such as fatigue ...

How long does it take for a duodenal ulcer to hurt?

Duodenal ulcers typically cause pain 2-5 hrs after a meal in the absence of a food buffer, may awaken the patient at night, and be more continuous. The pain may be associated with nausea, vomiting, chronic pain and weight loss (see Duodenal ulcer).

Can gastric ulcers cause nausea?

Gastric ulcers may be more episodic in pain, pyloric channel ulcers, may have food-provoked symptoms due to visceral sensitization, and gastroduodenal dysmotility pain typically worsens with eating. Gastric ulcers may be associated with nausea, vomiting, chronic pain, and weight loss.

Is epigastric pain a differential diagnosis?

Epigastric pain is an extremely common complaint in the emergency department and has an associated broad differential diagnosis. In the differential it is important to consider cardiac causes that may be mistaken for gastrointestinal disorders as well as various serious intra-abdominal causes. This ….

Is epigastric pain a common complaint?

Epigastric pain is an extremely common complaint in the emergency department and has an associated broad differential diagnosis. In the differential it is important to consider cardiac causes that may be mistaken for gastrointestinal disorders as well as various serious intra-abdominal causes. This …. Epigastric pain is an extremely common ...

What does it mean when you have epigastric pain?

Pain may spread from or to another part of your body. Epigastric pain may be a sign of a serious health problem that needs to be treated.

What causes pain in the stomach?

Certain foods may cause your pain, such as alcohol or foods that are high in fat. You may need to eat smaller meals and to eat more often than usual. Drink liquids as directed. Ask how much liquid to drink each day and which liquids are best for you. Do not have drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine.

How to keep track of pain?

Include when the pain starts, how long it lasts, and if it is sharp or dull. Also include any foods you ate or activities you did before the pain started. Keep track of anything that helped the pain.

How long does gallbladder pain last?

Although labeled “colic,” gallbladder pain is generally not paroxysmal, and it almost never lasts less than 1 hour, with an average of 5–16 hours’ duration, and ranging up to 24 hours.13Small bowel obstruction typically progresses from an intermittent (“colicky”) pain to more constant pain when distention occurs.

What organs cause pain in the suprapubic region?

Hindgut structures such as the bladder, and distal two-thirds of the colon, as well as pelvic genitourinary organs usually cause pain in the suprapubic region. Pain is usually reported in the back for retroperitoneal structures such as the aorta and kidneys.5,6. Character .

Where does somatic pain come from?

Somatic pain is transmitted via the spinal nerves from the parietal peritoneum or mesodermal structures of the abdominal wall. Noxious stimuli to the parietal peritoneum may be inflammatory or chemical in nature (eg, blood, infected peritoneal fluid, and gastric contents).5,7. Onset .

Where is visceral pain perceived?

Location . Embryology determines where a patient will “feel” visceral pain, which is generally perceived in the midline because afferent impulses from visceral organs are poorly localized. Visceral nociceptors can be stimulated by distention, stretch, vigorous contraction, and ischemia.

Should an emergency physician administer analgesics?

The emergency physician should not hesitate to administer adequate analgesic medication to the patient with acute abdominal pain. When studied, the administration of narcotic analgesics does not obscure the diagnosis or interfere with the treatment of the patient.

Can vomiting cause esophageal rupture?

Vomiting may occur in almost any abdominal disease. Pain generally precedes vomiting in surgical conditions, with the important exception of esophageal rupture from forceful emesis.10,17It is usually present in small bowel obstruction, unless the obstruction is partial or the patient is presenting early in the course.