DEFINITION
An abscess is a pus-filled pouch that is usually caused by a
bacterial infection.
Abdominal abscess (abdominal abscess) may form below the
diaphragm, in the middle of the abdomen, in the pelvis, or behind the abdominal
cavity. Abscesses also may form in or around the abdominal organs, such as
kidneys, spleen, pancreas or liver, or in the prostate gland.
CAUSE
Abdominal abscess can be caused by:
·
Intestinal perforation due to cancer or trauma
·
Spread of infection or inflammation caused by
certain conditions, such as appendicitis, diverticulitis, Crohn's disease,
pancreatitis, or pelvic inflammatory disease
·
Trauma to the abdomen or due to surgery on the
stomach
SYMPTOMS
Most patients experience pain or discomfort in the stomach
settled, malaise, and fever. Other symptoms that can occur are loss of appetite
and weight loss.
Moreover, it could reveal any specific symptoms, depending
on the location of the abscess formation, for example:
·
Abscesses are formed under the diaphragm.
Patients may develop a cough, pain when breathing, or pain in the shoulder
(Referred pain) caused by the same innervation.
·
Abscess in the pelvic cavity, can cause symptoms
such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and frequent urination or the urge to urinate
due to bladder irritation.
·
Abscesses behind the abdominal cavity
(retroperitoneal), typically causes pain in the lower back that intensified
when the patient moves the leg at the hip joint.
·
Abscesses in the pancreas, can cause fever,
abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. These symptoms often occur a week or more
after the patient recovered from pancreatitis.
·
Liver abscess, can cause loss of appetite,
nausea, and fever. Patients may experience abdominal pain or it may not.
DIAGNOSIS
Abdominal abscess is often difficult to diagnose because
early symptoms are usually not very clear and mild. Therefore, it can be done
investigations such as CT scans, ultrasound, or MRI to help distinguish abscess
from other disorders, as well as determine the location, size, and source of an
abscess.
Inspection needle aspiration can be done to take a sample of
pus in the abscess, that is by inserting a needle through the skin (can be
guided by ultrasound or CT scan). Examples pus then examined in a laboratory to
identify the causative organism, so that it can be determined that the most
effective antibiotics to overcome.
TREATMENT
Handling is carried out such as:
·
Remove the pus found in abscesses (drainage),
for example, by surgery or needle aspiration guided by CT scan or ultrasound.
·
Giving antibiotics to fight infection and
prevent the spread of infection when performed drainage.
·
Laboratory tests to identify the infecting
organism from pus taken during drainage. It is important to be able to
determine what antibiotics are effective in treating the infection.
An abscess can rarely be cured without any drainage, for
example, only with antibiotics. After drainage, the source of infection must
also be addressed. Patients also need to get good nutrition to help the
recovery.
REFERENCE
- A, Parswa. Abdominal abscess. Merck Manual Home Health
Handbook. 2012.
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