Abdominal Pain

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Abdominal Pain
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Questions to Ask

• How long has it been going on?
• What makes it feel better?
• What makes it feel worse?
• Can you describe the pain? (Cramps, sharpness,
  etc.)
• Does it radiate?
• How is your appetite?
• Does the pain worsen with certain food?

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Questions to Ask

• Have you seen a doctor for it?
• Are you taking any medication?
• Is anyone else in your family experiencing the
  same problems?
• Bowel movements?

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Physical Examination

• Palpate the abdominal region, listen for abnormal
  sounds
• Right Upper
• Liver, Pancreas, Kidney, and Lung
• Right Lower
• Appendix, Ureter, Bladder, Colon, and Gonads
• Left Upper
• Heart, Spleen, Kidney, Stomach, and Lung
• Left Lower
• Ureter, Bladder, Colon, and Gonads

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Parasites
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Questions to Ask Physical Examination

• Similar to abdominal questions
• Check for distended belly
• Remember to ask for the number of people in the
  family, usually if one has parasites, they all do

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Hookworms

• What?
• Worm that lives in upper small bowel
• Cause
• Sometimes contaminated soil allows for larval
  penetration

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Hookworms

• Symptoms
• Anemia

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Roundworms

• What?
• Worm that lives in small intestine
• Causes
• Contaminated food
• Symptoms
• Coughing, difficulty breathing, chest pain (due
  to larval migration to lungs)

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Pinworms

• What?
• Small white, thread like worms
• Causes
• Ingested eggs
• Symptoms
• Usually asymptomatic
• When symptomatic, itching in vaginal
• Itchy butt
• Difficulty sleeping at night

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Whipworms

• What?
• Whip-like worms
• Causes
• Ingested eggs from soil
• Symptoms
• Usually asymptomatic
• Heavy cases may cause bloody diarrhea

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Tapeworms

• What?
• Segmented worms that passes through the stool
• Causes
• Eating meat that has been infected
• Symptoms
• Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea