Acute Abdomen: Locate the Pain

Where it hurts points to the diagnosis · Week 13
The belly is split into four quadrants. Where the pain lands usually names the problem. A few classic exam signs help too. Click a condition to light up its spot and see the tell-tale signs. Watch how appendicitis can burst and turn into peritonitis.

The four quadrants

You are facing the patient, so their right is on your left. RLQ means right lower quadrant. LLQ means left lower quadrant.
Pick a condition to locate it.
Pick a conditiontap to find it and name it

👆 Pick a condition

What's happening

The dangerous path. An inflamed appendix can burst, or perforate. So can a diverticulum or an ulcer. Contents spill into the peritoneal cavity, which is normally germ-free. That brings peritonitis, with a rigid belly, guarding, and sepsis. This is why RLQ pain is taken seriously.