A retrospective study of patients complaining of nontraumatic acute abdominal pain,admitted in the emergency department of an urban hospital in China

Background:Nontraumatic acute abdominal pain(AAP)accounts for a large proportion of emergency department(ED)admissions.This study aimed to explore the underlying correlations among basic information,imaging examinations,and diagnoses.Methods:A total of 7453 patients complaining of AAP,admitted to the ED of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University,were enrolled in this retrospective study from January 1 to December 30,2019.We collected the following information from the patients:sex,age,date of visit,pain location,nature of pain,level of severity,imaging(computed tomography,x-ray,and ultrasound),diagnosis,and outcomes(re-lease from the hospital,transfer to another hospital,transfer to another department,observation room,hospitalization,or death).Results:According to this study,AAP was more common in female than male.A total of 82.11%patients of AAP were in level 3 of se-verity,while 0.19%patients were in level 1.A total of 77.20%of the patients had undergone imaging.Swelling pain and colic are the 2 most common types of AAP.Nonspecific abdominal pain(NSAP)is the most common diagnosis.In the diagnosis of NSAP and gastroenteritis,female patients were more prevalent than male patients,but for renal colic,male patients were 3 times as many as female patients.Non-specific abdominal pain,biliary colic,and cholecystitis are the 3 leading causes in patients 65 years or older.Nonspecific abdominal pain,renal colic,and gastroenteritis are the 3 leading causes of AAP in patients younger than 65 years.Conclusion:With the help of imaging,clinicians can specify a diagnosis and perform corresponding treatment in most cases.However,making a precise diagnosis of AAP within a short period is still challenging.Further research should be conducted to seek safer and more effective techniques to streamline clinicians’work.

Comparison of the anxiety level between the medical staff and the public during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Background:A sudden outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)started in December 2019 in Wuhan,China.Up-to-date,there have been limited studies examining the anxiety status of Chinese individuals in the early phase of the pandemic period(January 30,2020–February 15,2020).This survey aimed to compare the level of anxiety of the medical staff with that of the public and to provide a theoretical basis for developing an effective psychological intervention.Method:Questionnaires were sent on the Internet(http://www.wjx.cn)during this period.The anxiety levels of Chinese people were investigated using the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),and the demographic data were collected simultaneously.Results:A total of 1110 participants were enrolled in this study,with an effective response rate of 100%.A total of 482 respondents were medical staff(43.4%),while 628 were members of the general public(56.6%).The medical staff itself had a higher SAS score than the general public(48.36±13.40 vs.45.74±11.79,P<0.01),while the medical staff in Wuhan were more anxious than the public in Wuhan with a higher SAS score(54.17±14.08 vs.48.53±11.92,P<0.01).Conclusion:The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the anxiety levels of the medical staff and the public,with the medical personnel showing a higher anxiety level than the public,especially female medical staff in Wuhan.Therefore,urgent intervention programs to reduce anxiety should be implemented.