R.F. MAKHMUTOV, G.A. NOVIKOV

1.  Gorky Donetsk State Medical University, Donetsk

Contact details:

Makhmutov R.F. —MD, Professor of the Department of Pediatrics No. 2

Address: 16 prospekt Illyicha, 283003, Donetsk, Donetsk People`s Republic, Russian Federation, tel.: +7-856-297-89-01, e-mail: ravilclassic@yandex.com

Abdominal pain in children is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical care among pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, and emergency physicians. The wide range of possible causes, from functional disorders to life-threatening surgical pathologies, presents a complex diagnostic challenge for healthcare professionals.

The purpose — to conduct a retrospective analysis of pediatric abdominal pain visits to a surgical hospital to identify the diagnosis structure, hospitalization rates, age and geographic characteristics, and correlations between clinical and organizational parameters.

Material and methods. A retrospective analysis of 799 cases of pediatric abdominal pain was conducted. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were used.

Results. The average age of patients was 9.6 years. Acute appendicitis was confirmed in 12.8% of children with abdominal pain. Functional bowel disorder was diagnosed in 72.1% of patients. Of all children with abdominal pain, 37.9% were hospitalized in the pediatric surgical department, with all cases of confirmed acute appendicitis requiring inpatient treatment. Age-related patterns were identified: the peak incidence of acute appendicitis is in adolescents aged 12–15 years, while intussusception occurs exclusively in children under 5 years of age. Children from nearby settlements (up to 30 minutes by car) were the most common visitors — 70%. Complications of acute appendicitis were recorded in 10.8% of confirmed cases.

Conclusions. Most visits are related to functional disorders, but one in eight suspected cases of acute appendicitis is confirmed. Early medical attention minimizes the risk of complications.

Key words: abdominal pain, hospitalization, diagnosis, children.

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