The Most Common Causes of Acute Abdominal Complaints in Older

The most common causes of acute abdominal complaints in older patients are biliary tract disease,intestinal obstruction,GI hemorrhage,hernia,diverticulitis,and appendicitis.Common abdominal procedures in people older than 65 years include cholecystectomy,lysis of adhesions,appendectomy,and partial excision of the small bowel.Many important clinical signs of abdominal disease may be less obvious in the elderly patient.What would be an appropriate question for the perioperative nurse to ask during the preoperative interview and assessment?

A) "Do you take nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications like ibuprofen?"
B) "Do you smoke cigarettes?"
C) "Have you ever had,or have,peptic ulcer disease?"
D) All of the options are relevant for this population.

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