Clinical features of abdominal painful crisis in sickle cell anemia

A retrospective review of children having sickle cell anemia and abdominal painful crisis (APC) was performed in order to delineate the pattern of their presenting clinical characteristics. Of 43 children accounting for 106 cases of APC that occurred during a 4-year period, 94 cases involved a child who had had a previous episode of APC. Symptoms included vomiting (10) and concomitant bone or joint pain (42). Physical findings showed 98 children with normoactive bowel sounds, 96 with a nonrigid abdomen to palpation, two with involuntary guarding, and two with rebound tenderness. Certain clinical characteristics are useful in distinguishing children with sickle cell anemia and APC. As compared with traditional findings that suggest a "surgical" abdomen, most of the children who have sickle cell APC do not experience vomiting, and present with normoactive bowel sounds, nonrigid abdomen, and absence of involuntary guarding or rebound tenderness. Children having presumed APC who receive analgesic medication in an outpatient setting with symptomatic improvement should be hospitalized for observation to monitor for recurrence/progression of symptoms indicative of an abdominal disease process requiring surgery.