PROGNOSIS OF ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH NONSPECIFIC ABDOMINAL-PAIN

Objective-To examine the long term outcome of patients over 65 years p resenting with acute non-specific abdominal pain. Setting-District gen eral hospital. Design-Retrospective cohort survey. Subjects-43 patient s with non-specific abdominal pain, median age 75.5 years, presenting in 1985. Methods-Case notes were reviewed and a questionnaire sent to the patients' general practitioners to assess long term outcome. Resul ts-There was little evidence that these patients subsequently develope d or died from a disease requiring surgery. However, this patient grou p did have a significantly poorer five year survival than a representa tive control group because of cardiorespiratory disorders. Conclusions -Non-specific abdominal pain in elderly patients should not be regarde d as harmless but may have medical rather than surgical implications.