Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal pain in adults and children, with a lifetime risk of 8.6% in males and 6.7% in female. It’s most likely to affect people between the ages of 10 and 30. Male have a higher risk in female. In each case, the growing bacteria infect the lining of the appendix. Appendicitis can be acute or chronic. It is acute if the symptoms of appendicitis appear suddenly, while the appendicitis chronic sometimes has no symptoms at an early stage and new symptoms appear when the disease starts to worsen or gets worse. Over 5 percent of Americans experience it at some point in their lives. If left untreated, appendicitis can cause perforation. This can cause bacteria to spill into your abdominal cavity, which can be serious and sometimes fatal.
One of the earliest appendicitis symptoms is abdominal pain that is hard to pinpoint. People with appendicitis typically experience pain in the central part of their abdomen that eventually moves over to the right lower quadrant (McBurney's point). Loss of appetite is another early symptom of appendicitis. Nausea and vomiting may occur early in the course of the illness or even later as the result of an intestinal obstruction. Some of the symptoms of appendicitis include: Pain near the center of your abdomen that eventually moves down your abdomen along your right side This pain gets worse in a matter of hours, and it may hurt when you cough, sneeze, or move around, or breathe deeply. Stomach problems like nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, constipation, or diarrhea, trapped gas, low fever stomach swelling feeling the need for a bowel movement to relieve discomfort.
Diagnosis for appendicitis may include blood tests, to check for infection an MRI, CT, or ultrasound scan, to see if the appendix is inflamed, urine tests, to identify a kidney or bladder infection.
Researchers at the Proteomics Center at Children’s Hospital in Boston MA have demonstrated that a protein detectable in urine could be useful as a biomarker for appendicitis. Sometimes, a doctor will decide to surgically remove the appendix because it is too risky to wait for tests to confirm the diagnosis.
A study show that antibiotic therapy may be the first-line therapy for uncomplicated appendicitis patients. while for patients with acute appendicitis using an appendectomy. A recent meta-analysis evaluated various outcomes for open and laparoscopic appendectomies in children and adults. Compared with open laparotomy, laparoscopic appendectomy resulted in a lower incidence of wound infection, fewer postoperative complications, shorter length of stay, and a faster return to activity, but a longer operation time.
Appendicitis is one of the most common causes of acute abdominal pain in adults and children. Diagnosis for appendicitis include blood test, MRI / CT scan, and urine test. The first-line therapy uncomplicated appendicitis patients is antibiotic, while the acute appendicitis is performed by Laparoscopic Appendectomy because it results in a fast healing process.
Source :
Matthew J Snyder, et all. Acute Appendicitis: Efficient Diagnosis and Management, American Academy of Family Physicians, 2018 July 1
https://www.healthline.com/health/appendicitis#symptoms
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/appendicitis/treatment/
https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-diseases-appendicitis
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158806#surgery
https://www.medicinenet.com/appendicitis_appendectomy
Picture: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/ss/slideshow-appendix-cancer