What problems might come in children having abdominal pain?

Pediatric researchers have found race- and ethnicity-based disparities in pain management and length of stay among children who came to hospital emergency departments for treatment of abdominal pain. “By documenting inequities in analgesia and length of stay for abdominal pain in a nationally representative sample of emergency department visits, this study contributes to the growing body of evidence showing disparities in pediatric health care”, said Tiffani Johnson, M.D., primary investigator and emergency department physician at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. “Recognizing the existence of racial and ethnic disparities is a critical first step needed to eliminate inequities in care”, added Dr. Johnson. “Additional research is still needed to help understand the sources of these disparities, which may include factors at the level of the patient, parent, physician, or healthcare system. This research can inform the development of interventions that seek to eliminate race- and ethnicity-based differences in the management of abdominal pain and other common pediatric complains in the emergency setting”, Dr. Johnson said.