Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics and nursing interventions of adults with acute abdominal pain. Methods: A retrospective design was used to examine the medical records of 1,822 adult patients, who presented with a chief complaint of abdominal pain in a university hospital emergency department in 2015.
Demographic data, clinical features, and clinical outcomes were reviewed and nursing interventions were classified using Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC). Data were summarized with descriptive statistics. Results: Among subjects, 53.8% were female and their mean age was 51.7 years. Around 8.9% were admitted to the hospital; 13.1% were underwent surgery; and 56.8% were discharged to home. Their pain was located in the whole abdomen (63.7%) and right upper quadrant (12.4%) and 79.5% had diseases of the digestive system, especially in gall bladder, biliary tract, and pancreas (16.3%). Nursing interventions were classified into 6 domains, 24 classes, and 117 interventions. The nursing interventions provided most frequently were pain management, fall prevention, admission care, teaching (individual, prescribed medication), and patient identification. Conclusion: In order to manage acute abdominal pain in the emergency department, standardized guidelines need to be developed based on patients’ characteristics and clinical features of abdominal pain.