Case Report: COVID-19 Masquerading as an Acute Surgical Abdomen

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Ashraf O E AhmedMouhand F H Mohamed

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infection can present with various clinical features, among which gastrointestinal manifestations such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and mild abdominal pain have been reported. Recognition of rare presentations of SARS-CoV-2 infection has increased over time. These atypical and rare presentations may lead to difficulties in establishing the diagnosis in a timely manner; furthermore, they may lead to unnecessary investigations, extended hospital stays, adverse outcomes, and more strain on healthcare resources. We present three cases admitted to our hospital with a picture that mimicked an acute abdomen, necessitating surgical assessment and evaluation. All cases turned out to be SARS-CoV-2 positive and did not require surgical management. We discuss the management course, highlight the importance of abdominal symptoms in the setting of COVID-19, and discuss the implications of this association for medical practice amid the current pandemic in both resource-rich and resource-limited settings.

References

Jan 31, 1998·The Surgical Clinics of North America·R F Martin, R L Rossi
Mar 13, 2020·Journal of Medical Virology·Long-Quan LiYuping Wang
Mar 31, 2020·Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics·Yuan TianYan He
Apr 29, 2020·The British Journal of Surgery·U SaeedT Mala
May 11, 2020·Pancreatology : Official Journal of the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP) ... [et Al.]·Amer HadiLise Lotte Gluud
May 12, 2020·Radiology·Rajesh BhayanaAvinash Kambadakone

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Citations

Aug 31, 2020·Curēus·Kulachanya Suwanwongse, Nehad Shabarek
Aug 7, 2020·The British Journal of Surgery·Khalid Ahmed, Mouhand F H Mohamed
Nov 12, 2020·Journal of Pediatric Surgery Case Reports·Pejman RohaniAliakbar Sayyari
Feb 27, 2021·SAGE Open Medical Case Reports·Mohammad AltermaniniAbdel-Naser Elzouki
Nov 24, 2020·New Microbes and New Infections·A AlharthyD Karakitsos
Jul 15, 2021·The British Journal of Radiology·Lokesh AgarwalKumble Seetharama Madhusudhan
Aug 1, 2021·Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology·Zohra AhmadChandan J Das
Nov 6, 2021·Journal of Digestive Diseases·Meng Meng ZhangJia Ming Qian

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
PCR
X-ray

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