Case Study - Appendicitis
I.DEFINITION/PREVALENCE
Acute disease of the GI tract may be caused by the pathogen itself or by a bacterial or other toxin. Acute inflammatory disorders such as appendicitis and peritonitis result from contamination of damaged or normally sterile tissue by a client’s own endogenous or resident bacteria (Lemone and Burke, 2008, page 766). Appendicitis is the inflammation of the vermiform (wormlike) appendix; the appendix is a small fingerlike appendage about 10 cm (4 in) long, attached to the cecum just below the ileocecal valve, which is the beginning of the large intestine. It is usually located in the right iliac region, at an area designated as McBurney’s point. McBurney’s point, located midway between the umbilicus and the anterior iliac crest in the right lower quadrant. It is the usual site for localized pain and rebound tenderness due to appendicitis during later stages of appendicitis. The function of the appendix is not fully understood, although it regularly fills and empties digested food. Some scientists have recently proposed that the appendix may harbor and protect bacteria that are beneficial in the function of the human colon.
Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute inflammation in the right lower quadrant of the abdominal cavity. The lower quadrant pain is usually accompanied by a low-grade fever, nausea, and often vomiting. Loss of appetite is common. In up to 50% of presenting cases, local tenderness is elicited at Mc Burney’s point applied located at halfway between the umbilicus and the anterior spine of the Ilium.
Rebound tenderness (ex. Production or intensification of pain when pressure is released) may be present. The extent of tenderness and muscle spasm and the existence of the constipation or diarrhea depend not so much on the severity of the appendiceal infection as on the location of the appendix.
If the appendix curls around behind the cecum, pain and tenderness may be felt in the lumbar region. Rovsing’s sign may be
Acute disease of the GI tract may be caused by the pathogen itself or by a bacterial or other toxin. Acute inflammatory disorders such as appendicitis and peritonitis result from contamination of damaged or normally sterile tissue by a client’s own endogenous or resident bacteria (Lemone and Burke, 2008, page 766). Appendicitis is the inflammation of the vermiform (wormlike) appendix; the appendix is a small fingerlike appendage about 10 cm (4 in) long, attached to the cecum just below the ileocecal valve, which is the beginning of the large intestine. It is usually located in the right iliac region, at an area designated as McBurney’s point. McBurney’s point, located midway between the umbilicus and the anterior iliac crest in the right lower quadrant. It is the usual site for localized pain and rebound tenderness due to appendicitis during later stages of appendicitis. The function of the appendix is not fully understood, although it regularly fills and empties digested food. Some scientists have recently proposed that the appendix may harbor and protect bacteria that are beneficial in the function of the human colon.
Appendicitis is the most common cause of acute inflammation in the right lower quadrant of the abdominal cavity. The lower quadrant pain is usually accompanied by a low-grade fever, nausea, and often vomiting. Loss of appetite is common. In up to 50% of presenting cases, local tenderness is elicited at Mc Burney’s point applied located at halfway between the umbilicus and the anterior spine of the Ilium.
Rebound tenderness (ex. Production or intensification of pain when pressure is released) may be present. The extent of tenderness and muscle spasm and the existence of the constipation or diarrhea depend not so much on the severity of the appendiceal infection as on the location of the appendix.
If the appendix curls around behind the cecum, pain and tenderness may be felt in the lumbar region. Rovsing’s sign may be
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