Minor Abdominal Conditions
This group of conditions includes indigestion, “wind”, flatulence, mild abdominal colic (spasmodic abdominal pain without vomiting or diarrhea and fever), and the effects of overindulgence in food or alcohol. The patient can often tell quite a lot about the possible causes of his minor abdominal conditions or upsets, so always encourage him to tell you all he can. Ask about intolerance to certain foods, such as fried foods, onions, sauces, and other spicy foods, any tendency to looseness, diarrhea, or constipation, and any regularly felt type of indigestion and any known reasons for it. Mild abdominal pain will usually cure itself if the cause(s) can be understood and removed.
Guard against total acceptance of the patient’s explanation of the causes of his pain until you have satisfied yourself by examining his abdomen, that he is not suffering from a serious condition. Note that a peptic ulcer may sometimes start with symptoms of slight pain.
General treatment
The patient should be put on a simple diet for 1-2 days, and given 2 aluminium hydroxide tablets three times a day. Repeat these at night, if the patient is in pain. If the condition does not resolve itself within two days of starting this regime, get RADIO MEDICAL ADVICE. Anyone who has persistent or unexplained mild abdominal symptoms should be seen by a doctor at the next port.
Abdominal Emergencies
Abdominal emergencies such as appendicitis and perforated gastric or duodenal ulcer are high on the list of conditions that, ashore, would be sent to hospital for surgical treatment. While there is no doubt that early surgical treatment is usually best, this does not mean that other forms of treatment are unsuitable or ineffective. In most abdominal emergencies on board a ship at sea, surgical treatment is usually neither advisable nor possible. Note that in the very early stages of abdominal conditions such as appendicitis or perforated ulcers, diarrhea, vomiting, headaches or fevers are seldom present other than in a mild form. If these symptoms are present, the illness is much more likely to be a diarrhea and vomiting type of illness.