The primary driver for emergency department (ED) consultations is abdominal pain. A significant portion of these individuals present with cyclical symptoms linked to non-critical etiologies, such as gut-brain interaction disorders. This preliminary investigation aimed to outline the clinical profiles of patients experiencing recurrent, low-risk abdominal pain, focusing on pain intensity, clinical management, biopsychosocial elements, opioid utilization, and 30-day readmission frequencies. Adult ED patients presenting with episodic abdominal pain were enrolled in this prospective, observational pilot study at a single academic hospital between July 2022 and June 2023. Eligible participants had to report at least one comparable painful episode during the previous year, separated by periods of complete symptom alleviation. Individuals presenting with unstable clinical metrics or high-risk pathologies were excluded. Data collection encompassed patient-reported outcomes, social determinants of health, and electronic clinical records. The primary endpoints were pain intensity, opioid exposure, and 30-day ED return rates. The investigation tracked 101 enrolled subjects (mean age, 43.7 years; 65.3% female; 69.3% Black). The cohort demonstrated elevated pain intensity (mean triage pain score, 7.1 ± 2.6). Over half of the participants (56.4%) had a history of frequent computed tomography screening. Analgesic treatment included opioids for 50 participants (49.5%). Scores from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-29 revealed elevated risks regarding anxiety (T-score, 56.0 ± 11.1) and pain interference (T-score, 60.8 ± 8.2). Within 30 days of discharge, 11 participants (10.9%) returned to the ED. This pilot project indicates that individuals suffering from recurrent, low-risk abdominal pain experience a substantial symptom burden alongside high healthcare resource utilization. Developing focused interventions that target biopsychosocial dynamics and optimize pain control strategies could help mitigate ED readmissions and improve patient outcomes.
