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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTo diagnosis your child's condition, your doctor is likely to:
- Take your child's medical history. In addition to gathering details about your child's current signs and symptoms, your doctor likely will ask about any other medical conditions for which your child has been treated.
- Request laboratory tests. Certain blood tests can help determine whether your child has an infection and what type of infection it is.
- Order imaging studies. A computerized tomography (CT) scan of your child's abdomen can help differentiate between appendicitis and mesenteric lymphadenitis. Abdominal ultrasound also may be used.
References
- Doherty GM, ed. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Surgery. 13th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=23. Accessed June 3, 2013.
- Brunicardi FC, ed., et al. Schwartz's Principles of Surgery. 9th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=50. Accessed June 3, 2013.
- Ferry GD. Causes of acute abdominal pain in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed June 3, 2013.
- Fishman MB, et al. Differential diagnosis of abdominal pain in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed June 3, 2013.
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