Pathology is common in subsequent visits after admission for non-specific abdominal pain.

Introduction: Although not supported by evidence, there may be a risk of overlooking pathological findings at patients' return visit after emergency admission for non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP). The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of missed acute pathology in patients primarily discharged with NSAP and re-admitted within three months.

Methods: This was a retrospective review of hospital records within a three-month period (1 September-30 November, 2014) in a university hospital with unrestricted referral of abdominal emergency patients.