A nurse in an acute care facility is caring for a toddler. Exhibits For each assessment finding below, click to specify if the assessment finding is consistent with Crohn's disease, appendicitis, or Intussusception. Each finding may support more than 1 disease process.

Temperature: 37.4 °C (99.3 °F) Appendicitis: Mildly elevated temperature can indicate early inflammation of the appendix. Fever is a classic sign of appendicitis. Crohn’s disease: Low-grade fever can occur during an acute flare. Intussusception: Often afebrile or low-grade fever; high fever is not typical unless perforation occurs. Vomiting Intussusception: Classic symptom; usually sudden onset and may be bilious. Vomiting often occurs with pain episodes. Appendicitis: Vomiting can occur, often after the onset of abdominal pain. Crohn’s disease: Vomiting can occur but is less characteristic than in acute obstruction or intussusception. Stool: Blood and mucus present Intussusception: “Currant jelly” stool (blood and mucus) is a hallmark finding. Crohn’s disease: Chronic diarrhea with blood and mucus may occur, especially during a flare. Appendicitis: Blood in stool is not typical. Pain rating: Severe pain causing child to draw knees to chest intermittently Intussusception: Classic colicky, intermittent abdominal pain. Child often draws knees to chest during episodes. Appendicitis: Pain is usually constant, starting periumbilical and localizing to RLQ. Intermittent severe pain is less typical. Crohn’s disease: Pain may be chronic or intermittent but not usually in sudden severe colicky episodes. Abdominal findings: Distension, hypoactive bowel sounds, tenderness in RUQ, palpable mass in RUQ Intussusception: Palpable “sausage-shaped” mass in RUQ is classic. Distension and hypoactive bowel sounds indicate bowel obstruction. Crohn’s disease: Abdominal tenderness can occur, but a discrete mass is less common; distension may occur in obstruction. Appendicitis: Tenderness usually localized to RLQ, not RUQ; palpable mass is uncommon except in advanced cases (abscess).