Left upper quadrant abdominal pain resident survival guide

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Amr Marawan, M.D. [2]

Left Upper Quadrant Abdominal Pain Resident Survival Guide Microchapters
Overview
Causes
Management
Do's
Don'ts

Overview

The left upper quadrant of the human abdomen, often abbreviated as LUQ, is used to refer to a portion of the abdomen that allows doctors to localise pain and tenderness, scars, lumps and other items of interest. The LUQ extends from the median plane to the left of the patient, and from the umbilical plane to the left ribcage.Pain in the left upper quadrant is usally indicative of something wrong with organs in this area including the stomach, left lobe of the liver, spleen, left kidney, adrenal gland and the splenic flexure of colon.

Causes

Management

Shown below is an algorithm depicting the diagnostic approach of acute abdominal pain in the left upper quadrant.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Peritoneal signs, shock or toxic appearing
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Symptoms, signs, risk factors or ECG suggestive of acute coronary syndrome
 
 
 
 
 
 
Symptoms, signs or risk factors suggestive of abdominal aortic aneurysm
 
 
 
 
❑ Initiate resuscitation
❑ Obtain immediate surgical consultation
❑ Perform bedside ultrasound (evaluate aorta, hemoperitoneum, pericardium and inverior vena cava)
❑ Obtain indicated tests and studies (e.g. x-ray, ECG, lactate, lipase and LFTs)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No
 
 
 
Yes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Appropriate management
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
❑ Surgical consultation
❑ Bedside ultrasound
❑ Abdominal CT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History, examination and risk factors suggest mesentric ischemia (pain out of proportion to exam)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
❑ Surgical consultation
❑ Abdominal CT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History and examination suggest bowel obstruction (diffuse tenderness with distention and persistent vomiting) or perforation (rigidity with absent bowel sounds
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Yes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
No
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abdominal x-ray series
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Where is pain localized
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Presence of free air
 
Presence of obstruction
 
 
Absent free air and absent obstruction
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Epigastric or upper right quadrant tenderness
 
Right lower quadrant tenderness
 
Left lower quadrant tenderness
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Surgical consult
 
Abdominal CT
 
 
Abdominal CT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Left upper quadrant tenderness
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History and physical examination
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CT abdomen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CT directed therapy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Do's

  • Start the approach to acute abdominal pain by rapid assessment of the patient using the pneumonic "ABC:" airway, breathing and circulation, to identify unstable patients.
  • Consider abdominal aortic aneurysm, mesenteric ischemia and malignancy in patients above 50 years as it is much less likely for younger patients.
  • Perform pelvic and testicular examination in patients with low abdominal pain.
  • Re-examine patients at high risk who were initially diagnosed with pain of unclear etiology.
  • Taking careful history, characterizing the pain precisely and thorough physical examination is crucial for creating narrow differential diagnosis.
  • Correlate the CD4 count in HIV positive patients with the most commonly occurring pathology.
  • Order a pregnancy test before proceeding with a CT scan in females in the child bearing age.
  • Order an ultrasound or magnetic resonance among pregnant females to avoid exposure to radiation. In case the previous tests were inconclusive and appendicitis is suspected, the next step in the management includes proceeding with either laparoscopy or limited CT scan.
  • Consider peritonitis with cervical motion tenderness as it isn't specific for pelvic inflammatory disease.
  • Suspect abdominal aortic aneurysm in old patients presenting with abdominal pain with history of tobacco use.[1]
  • Suspect acute mesenteric ischemia or acute pancreatitis in patients presenting with poorly localized pain out of proportion to physical findings.[1]
  • Recommend initial imaging studies based on the location of abdominal pain:

Don'ts

  • Fail to evaluate elder patients in the presence of overt clinical signs.
  • Over rely on laboratory tests, they are only used as adjuncts.
  • Do not delay the initial intervention.
  • Do not order blood cultures routinely in all patients
  • Don’t delay resuscitation or surgical consultation for ill patient while waiting for imaging.
  • Don’t restrict the differential diagnosis of abdominal pain based on the location; for example, right-sided structures may refer pain to the left abdomen.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Diagnosis and management of 528 abdom... [Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1981] - PubMed - NCBI".
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "http://www.acr.org/". External link in |title= (help)
  3. "http://www.ebmedicine.net/content.php?action=showPage&pid=94&cat_id=16". External link in |title= (help)

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