Outpatient management of pediatric surgical problems.

A number of pediatric surgical problems commonly seen in the outpatient department or physician's office are reviewed. It is particularly important for the primary care physician to recognize the difficulty of accurate diagnosis in children and the advantage of sedation in improving patient cooperation. Hospitalization may be necessary for adequate observation, proper preparation for diagnostic studies, or safe treatment. Simple traumatic injuries or infections can usually be treated effectively without hospitalization if sound surgical principles are observed. Abdominal pain or rectal bleeding calls for a careful investigation for early signs of inflammatory disease or life-threatening lesions requiring surgical treatment.