[Sex- or symptom-specific behavior of male residents? An analysis of diagnosis and therapy of ambulatory female and male patients with abdominal pain].

We investigated the influence of the patient's gender for diagnostic and therapeutic approach of physicians at the outpatient clinic of the university hospital of Basle. In a prospective study 13 male residents in their second and third year of medical training were observed in their management of 25 female and 25 male patients presenting with the leading complaint of abdominal pain with regard to taking of the medical history, the physical examination and the performed diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, without informing the participating physicians. The time spent for the first consultation and the number of follow ups performed were registered. Following differences in the management of female and male patients were observed: The time spent at the first consultation was 59 +/- 5 minutes in female and 45 +/- 3.5 in male patients (p less than 0.03). Fundoscopic examination was three times more often performed in female patients. Endoscopic examinations were more often observed in male patients (p less than 0.01). Antacids and H2-antagonists were more frequently prescribed in male (p less than 0.01). Spasmolytics and laxatives more frequently in female (p less than 0.01). In summary in male patients the diagnosis of functional disease was predominantly made after exclusion of an organic disease what does explain the use of more diagnostic procedures and the induction of a more specific therapy.