Clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute pediatric abdominal pain at the Colsanitas Clinic

Abstract

Introduction: Pediatric abdominal pain is a frequent problem and a diagnostic dilemma. Mostly it is benign but a certain percentage may require surgical management that warrants urgent intervention. The broad spectrum of etiologies that express as abdominal pain make it a challenging diagnosis. Objective: To prepare clinical practice guidelines to orient healthcare professionals in the identification, diagnostic methods, and alternatives for managing acute abdominal pain in pediatric patients at the Clínica Colsanitas. Methodology: During the first quarter of 2017 and in keeping with the national guidelines, a Guidelines Developer Team (GDT) was organized, that designed 13 clinical questions based on the PICO strategy. A search of pre-existing guidelines in reputable sites and in Medline was conducted, with no satisfactory results for the adoption of guidelines. An expert non-formal consensus based on the updated literature defined the recommendations for drafting, dissemination, and approval by the institution. Results: The clinical questions for the diagnosis and treatment of acute abdominal pain were answered, according to the characteristics of the pediatric population served at the institution. No systematic literature reviews were done to answer the questions asked by the GDT. Conclusion: These pediatric abdominal pain management guidelines serve as an informative tool to guide decision-making in accordance with the needs of the institution and the resources available, contributing to improving the quality of care and reducing unjustified clinical variability.