What condition is characterized by abdominal pain and septic signs after surgery?

The condition characterized by abdominal pain and septic signs after surgery is a bile leak. Following surgical procedures, particularly those involving the biliary tract or gallbladder surgery, a bile leak can lead to the accumulation of bile in the abdominal cavity. This can cause irritative symptoms, such as abdominal pain, and may lead to a systemic inflammatory response, causing signs of sepsis, including fever, tachycardia, and hypotension.

In contrast, while pancreatitis can also present with abdominal pain, it is typically not a direct consequence of surgery in the immediate postoperative period and is not specifically characterized by the same septic signs attributed to bile leaks. Perforated ulcers can indeed present with severe abdominal pain and septic signs; however, they are usually identified not as a direct postoperative complication but rather as an acute surgical emergency that occurs independently. Acute appendicitis, while it can present with pain and infection, usually occurs before surgery and is not an expected postoperative complication.