Revision of The Practice Guidelines for Primary Care of Acute Abdomen (GL2015) -The Usefulness of and Our Expectations for the Revisions-

Abstract

The Japanese Society of Hospital General Medicine (JHGM) is revising the GL2015 Practice Guidelines for Primary Care of Acute Abdomen, which were started in 2012 with a 13-member committee from five societies, including the Japanese Society for Abdominal Emergency Medicine (JAEM) and the JAPAN Primary Care Association (JPCA). Published in 2015. GL2015 organized 108 clinical questions (CQs) on acute abdomen care, including definitions, diagnosis, and treatment protocols. A post-publication evaluation revealed a 60.9% awareness rate among healthcare professionals. Although improvements were made in specific diagnostic and management practices, gaps in the use of some recommended procedures and educational opportunities were identified. In response, creation of a revised edition is underway, with a 39- member revision committee and expanded collaboration from the JHGM, The Japan Society of Ultrasonics in Medicine, and the Japanese Society of Sonographers. The focus is on reorganizing the CQs and enhancing the educational content to address the identified gaps and to comprehensively update the guidelines.