The medical history (history of the patient) represents an important component in the diagnosis of abdominal swelling.
Family history
- What is the general health of your family members?
- Are there any diseases in your family that are common?
- Are there any hereditary diseases in your family?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Are you exposed to harmful working substances in your profession?
- Is there any evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- What changes have you noticed?
- How long have these changes existed?
- Did the swelling/spatial changes occur suddenly?
- Have other symptoms occurred such as pain, fever, loss of appetite? Nausea, vomiting?
- Is the swelling variable (possibly increasing and then decreasing) or increasing?
Vegetative history including nutritional history.
- Have you lost body weight unintentionally in the recent past? If so, how many kilograms in what time?
- Are you overweight? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Do you smoke? If so, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol more often? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses of it per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, which drugs and how often per day or per week?
- When was your last menstrual period? Is your menstruation regular?
- Have your bowel movements and/or urination changed in frequency, consistency, color, etc.?
Self history including medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (gastrointestinal diseases).
- Operations (operations on the abdomen)
- Radiotherapy
- Vaccination status
- Allergies
- Pregnancies
- Environmental history
- Medication history
