Clinical Case Of the Month: A 35 Year Old Woman with Abdominal Pain

Abstract

A 35 year old woman with past medical history of hypertension presented to the emergency department with chief complaint of severe abdominal pain for one week. The abdominal pain was located in the epigastrium and described as "cramping" and "intermittent". The pain intensity was quantified initially as 6 out of 10 on the pain scale. As the week progressed the pain became constant and radiated to the back. The intensity of the abdominal pain increased to 10 out of 10. The patient reported some relief from her pain while lying in the prone position. Initially the pain was associated with loose stools for several days. The loose stools resolved spontaneously and then the patient began to experience nausea and vomiting. Her medications included lisinopril-hydrochlorothiazide which she had been taking for the past five months. She had no history of alcohol, tobacco or illicit drug use.