Intra-abdominal and pelvic emergencies.

The diversity in intra-abdominal/pelvic infections is more than any other organ system. Several clinical scenarios can end up in intra-abdominal infections. The common causes include penetrating abdominal trauma, abdominal surgery, diverticulitis, appendicitis, pancreatitis, biliary disease, perforated viscus, and primary peritonitis. Intra-abdominal infections can masquerade as fever of obscure origin or as dysfunction of neighboring organs, such as lower lobe pneumonia related to a subphrenic abscess or an abscess causing small bowel obstruction. An urgent surgical intervention is the mainstay of the management of serious intra-abdominal infections. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.