Risk Factors for Recurrent Abdominal Pain in Children with Nonorganic Acute Abdominal Pain

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in children who presented with nonorganic acute abdominal pain.

Methods: A retrospective, single study was conducted on 2-15-year-old children diagnosed with nonorganic acute abdominal pain at the pediatric outpatient department of Vajira Hospital, Nawamindradhiraj University, between January 2015 and December 2019. The potential risk factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: Of the 367 patients with nonorganic acute abdominal pain, 94 (25.6%) experienced RAP within three months. In this group with RAP, 76 patients (80.8%) were diagnosed with functional gastrointestinal disorders, including functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, functional abdominal pain-not otherwise specified, and functional constipation. History of gastrointestinal infection (p=0.011), mental health problems (p=0.022), abdominal pain lasting ≥7 days (p<0.001), and change in stool frequency (p=0.001) were the independent risk factors associated with RAP in children with nonorganic acute abdominal pain; their odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 3.364 (1.314-8.162), 3.052 (1.172-7.949), 3.706 (1.847-7.435), and 2.649 (1.477-4.750), respectively.

Conclusion: RAP is a common problem among children who first present with nonorganic acute abdominal pain. The identification of risk factors may provide proper management, especially follow-up plans for this group in the future.

Keywords: Abdominal pain; Pediatrics; Recurrence; Risk factors.

Fig. 1. Flow diagram of the study process and the number of patients in each group.

ICD-10: Tenth Revision of International Classification of Diseases, R10: ICD-10 code for abdominal and pelvic pain, K29: ICD-10 code for gastritis, unspecified, K30: ICD-10 code for dyspepsia, AP: abdominal pain, RAP: recurrent abdominal pain, FAPD: functional abdominal pain disorder, IBS: irritable bowel syndrome, FD: functional dyspepsia, FAP-NOS: functional abdominal pain, not otherwise specified.