Abdominal pain — which specialty
Pain in the abdomen, either in one spot or spread across.
Usually seen by
Gastroenterology
Other directions, depending on what comes with it:
- General surgery — if the pain is localised and increasing
- Obstetrics and gynaecology — for lower abdominal pain in women of reproductive age
- Kidney and urology — if pain in the flank radiates to the groin
Not sure you have picked the right one? Start with general internal medicine — routing you to the right place is their job, not yours.
Go now, without waiting for an appointment, if any of these apply
- Severe abdominal pain of sudden onset
- An abdomen rigid as a board and very tender to touch
- Abdominal pain with vomiting blood or black stools
- Abdominal pain with high fever and shivering
- Abdominal pain in someone pregnant or possibly pregnant
- Abdominal pain with a distended abdomen and no passage of wind
This list is not exhaustive and does not replace judgement on the spot. If something is clearly wrong and you are unsure, call your local emergency number or go to the nearest facility — waiting in order to be certain is the most dangerous way to spend the time.
What you will be asked — have the answers ready
- Where exactly — point with one finger if you can
- Constant or coming in waves
- How it relates to meals: before, after, worse hungry or worse full
- Whether bowel habit has changed
- Whether there is fever, vomiting, or pain radiating to the back
A first appointment is short. Having these answers ready is the cheapest way to avoid a second visit that exists only to supply information.
Bring with you
- A note of the location and the timeline
- Previous endoscopy or ultrasound results
- A list of medicines, anti-inflammatory painkillers in particular
What a first visit usually involves
- Examination of the abdomen region by region
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Blood and urine tests along the suspected line