Clinical Characteristics, Surgical Management And Outcomes Of Abdominal Pain Among SARS-COV-2 Infected Patients: A Chart Review

Introduction: A significant proportion of patients with SARS-CoV-2 present with different gastrointestinal manifestations. Abdominal pain is one such. Surgical referrals are frequently done since it mimics sinister abdominal pathology. However, surgical management and follow up guidelines of abdominal pain are still underdeveloped. Surgical interventions without careful clinical judgment may lead to catastrophic outcomes. Our aim is to determine the characteristics of abdominal pain, management and outcome among selected COVID-19 infected patients.Martial and Method: A chart review was conducted among COVID-19 patients with abdominal pain who were referred for surgical opinions in a private hospital from February 2021 to September 2021. Demographic, signs and symptoms, clinical findings, biochemical investigations and outcomes were recorded.  The site of the abnormal pain was classified according to standard nine quadrants surgical demarcation of the abdomen. Results: We collected data on 40 (Male n=22, 55%) referred patients (mild: n= 25 [62.5%], moderate: n=15[37.5%] and no severe cases). The median age was 51years.  Patients were referred for surgical opinion median day of 4 from the illness. The commonest quadrant of abdominal pain was the right iliac fossa (n=30 [75%]). On clinical examination, 87.5 %( n=35) abdomen was soft and non-tender. Supportive therapy and close observations were carried out. Symptoms were remised within two to three days.  Conclusion: Our study shows that the abdominal pain among COVID-19 patient with mild to moderate disease are not associated with sinister abdominal pathologies and can be managed conservatively. Further studies need to develop surgical management guidelines for this category of patients.