Abdominal Evaluation

Abdominal pain can take many forms. Cramping pain, which comes and goes, is most often due to gallstones, while continuous and progressive pain can have both surgical and non-surgical causes. The abdominal evaluation is a very important tool that we should all know since a good exam can lead to many diagnoses and differentiate whether a person needs surgery or not. The patient should be lying down, as relaxed as possible, so that the abdomen can be felt without any resistance. I always ask the patient if he is in pain and to point out where it is so I can examine that area at the end. The idea is not to cause any discomfort that would complicate the evaluation. Palpation should be systematic and without exerting much pressure while looking for areas of pain and at the same time checking for bruising or changes in skin color. In the figure below, you can see the location of the organs according to the quadrant you are feeling. This way you can orient your diagnosis according to the area where the pain is.

Carlos Castillo, Own work