{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,29]],"date-time":"2025-10-29T03:30:32Z","timestamp":1761708632314,"version":"3.38.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2007,2,1]],"date-time":"2007-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1170288000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Scott Med J"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2007,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Aims<\/jats:title><jats:p> This study profiles patients aged 70 years or above dying suddenly of an \u2018acute abdomen\u2019 and investigates the specific features associated with the conditions and their diagnoses. <\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p> A retrospective study using data obtained from autopsy and police reports held in the Forensic Medicine Section of the University of Edinburgh. <\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p> From 1997 to 2000, out of 2121 autopsies of patients aged 70 or above, an \u2018acute abdomen\u2019 was considered as a primary cause of death in 111 cases. The number of cases increased over the period of study. Peptic ulcer disease was the commonest underlying cause of death. Twenty-nine (26.1%) cases were due to its complications, namely gastrointestinal haemorrhage and perforation. Sixty-nine (62.2%) patients were seen by a medical practitioner in circumstances arising from the onset of acute abdomen. In 27 (39.1%) cases a provisional diagnosis was recorded. <\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p> The \u2018acute abdomen\u2019 is still an appreciably frequent cause of death in sudden, unexpected deaths in the older age group. Some of the deaths may have been preventable with an early diagnosis. A high level of vigilance and early attention to an \u2018acute abdomen\u2019 by medical practitioners is therefore advocated. <\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1258\/rsmsmj.52.1.20","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,3,16]],"date-time":"2011-03-16T22:08:12Z","timestamp":1300313292000},"page":"20-23","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":17,"title":["Acute Abdomen as a Cause of Death in Sudden, Unexpected Deaths in the Elderly"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"52","author":[{"given":"CY","family":"Ng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopaedics, Queen Margaret Hospital, Whitefield Road, Dunfermline KY12 0SU"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"TJ","family":"Squires","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Section, Department of Pathology, The University of Edinburgh, Medical Building, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"A","family":"Busuttil","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Forensic Medicine Section, Department of Pathology, The University of Edinburgh, Medical Building, Teviot Place, Edinburgh EH8 9AG"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2007,2,1]]},"container-title":["Scottish Medical Journal"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1258\/rsmsmj.52.1.20","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1258\/rsmsmj.52.1.20","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,3]],"date-time":"2025-03-03T08:02:19Z","timestamp":1740988939000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1258\/rsmsmj.52.1.20"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2007,2]]},"references-count":0,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2007,2]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1258\/rsmsmj.52.1.20"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1258\/rsmsmj.52.1.20","relation":{},"ISSN":["0036-9330","2045-6441"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"0036-9330"},{"type":"electronic","value":"2045-6441"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2007,2]]}}}