What causes Acute Abdomen?

There are a number of possible causes of acute abdomen. These include:

• Viral gastroenteritis -stomach flu
• Intestinal obstruction
• Hernia
• Appendicitis -inflammation of the appendix
• Pancreatitis -inflammation of the pancreas
• Diverticulitis -inflammation of small pouches that form in the large intestine
• Cholecystitis-inflammation of the gallbladder, with or without gallstones
• Cholangitis-inflammation of the bile duct caused by a gallstone or a bacterial infection
• Gastritis -inflammation of the stomach lining, such as from drinking too much alcohol or prolonged use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Kidney, bladder, or urinary tract infection
• Kidney stones
• Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease -inflammatory diseases of the intestines
• Sickle cell crisis
• Diabetic ketoacidosis-dangerously high levels of acids in the blood
• Ruptured or leaking abdominal aortic aneurysm -abnormally large blood vessels in the abdomen
• Ischemia-inadequate, or blocked, blood supply to one of the abdominal organs
• Infectious diarrhea
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Peptic ulcer
• Heart attack
• Cancer
• Pneumonia
• In women:
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Endometriosis
  • Uterine fibroids
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease -inflammation around the ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes
  • Miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy
• In infants:
  • Intussusception (the telescoping of one portion of the intestine into another, causing obstruction of the bowel and blockage of its blood flow)
  • Volvulus-a twisting of the colon around itself
  • Hirschsprung's disease -also known as congenital megacolon
  • Other congenital defects of the digestive tract