ABDOMINAL PAIN IN CHILDREN: PROPEDEUTIC DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH

Abdominal pain is one of the most frequent complaints in pediatric clinical practice and represents a significant diagnostic challenge due to its wide etiological spectrum and age-dependent presentation. In children, abdominal pain may originate from gastrointestinal, urinary, respiratory, metabolic, infectious, or even psychosomatic causes, often mimicking each other and complicating early clinical assessment. The propedeutic diagnostic approach—based on careful history taking, thorough physical examination, and rational interpretation of initial clinical signs—remains the cornerstone of accurate diagnosis before advanced investigations are considered. This article aims to analyze abdominal pain in children from a propedeutic perspective, emphasizing age-specific clinical features, key diagnostic symptoms, and structured examination strategies. Special attention is given to differentiating functional abdominal pain from organic pathology using clinical criteria, red flag signs, and symptom patterns. The study synthesizes contemporary pediatric literature and clinical guidelines published between 2021 and 2025, ensuring evidence-based relevance. A descriptive analytical framework is applied to demonstrate how systematic propedeutic evaluation can reduce unnecessary diagnostic procedures, improve early recognition of serious conditions, and enhance clinical decision-making in primary pediatric care. Statistical data on disease distribution are presented through a structured table and a column-based diagram illustrating the relative frequency of common etiologies of abdominal pain in children. The findings underscore that despite advances in diagnostic technology, classical propedeutic methods retain decisive value in pediatric abdominal pain assessment. Strengthening clinical examination skills at the propedeutic level contributes significantly to diagnostic accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and patient safety in pediatric practice.