Abdominal distress refers to any pain or discomfort in the abdomen.
Abdominal distress is a very common complaint. There are many different reasons why a person might have abdominal pain, and the exact cause is not always clear. Symptoms may be mild and of no great concern, or they may represent a life-threatening condition. There are hundreds of conditions that can cause abdominal discomfort. For instance, appendicitis , which is a fairly common infection in the bowels, can result in death if not treated fairly quickly.