APPENDICITIS
APPENDICITIS
Reporter:
Rita May C. Reyna
APPENDIX
The appendix is a normal true diverticulum of the
cecum. Like any diverticulum, it is prone to acute and chronic inflammation, and acute appendicitis is a relatively common entity. Other lesions, including tumors, can also occur in the appendix but are far less common. The appendix is a wormlike extension of the cecum and, for this reason, has been called the vermiform appendix. The average length of the appendix is 8-10 cm (ranging from 2-20 cm). The appendix appears during the fifth month of gestation, and several lymphoid follicles are scattered in its mucosa. Such follicles increase in number when individuals are aged
8-20 years. A normal appendix is seen below.
APPENDICITIS
Appendicitis is a medical emergency that
requires prompt surgery to remove the appendix. Left untreated, an inflamed appendix will eventually burst, or perforate, spilling infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. This can lead to peritonitis, a serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity's lining
(the peritoneum) that can be fatal unless it is treated quickly with strong antibiotics.
Investigators analyzed data from 331
pediatric patients with suspected appendicitis, 2 years before the implementation of the new algorithm states that 41% or 136 of the subjects has appendicitis and 3 years after implementation of the new algorithm shows that 59% or 195 of the subjects have appendicitis and the new algorithm shows a significant decrease in the use of CT scanning from 39% to 18%, respectively.
Signs and symptoms
The clinical presentation of appendicitis is notoriously
inconsistent. The classic history of anorexia and periumbilical pain followed by nausea, right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain, and vomiting occurs in only
50% of cases. Features include the following:
Abdominal pain: Most common symptom
Nausea: 61-92% of patients
Anorexia: 74-78% of patients
Vomiting: Nearly always follows the onset of pain;
vomiting
Reporter:
Rita May C. Reyna
APPENDIX
The appendix is a normal true diverticulum of the
cecum. Like any diverticulum, it is prone to acute and chronic inflammation, and acute appendicitis is a relatively common entity. Other lesions, including tumors, can also occur in the appendix but are far less common. The appendix is a wormlike extension of the cecum and, for this reason, has been called the vermiform appendix. The average length of the appendix is 8-10 cm (ranging from 2-20 cm). The appendix appears during the fifth month of gestation, and several lymphoid follicles are scattered in its mucosa. Such follicles increase in number when individuals are aged
8-20 years. A normal appendix is seen below.
APPENDICITIS
Appendicitis is a medical emergency that
requires prompt surgery to remove the appendix. Left untreated, an inflamed appendix will eventually burst, or perforate, spilling infectious materials into the abdominal cavity. This can lead to peritonitis, a serious inflammation of the abdominal cavity's lining
(the peritoneum) that can be fatal unless it is treated quickly with strong antibiotics.
Investigators analyzed data from 331
pediatric patients with suspected appendicitis, 2 years before the implementation of the new algorithm states that 41% or 136 of the subjects has appendicitis and 3 years after implementation of the new algorithm shows that 59% or 195 of the subjects have appendicitis and the new algorithm shows a significant decrease in the use of CT scanning from 39% to 18%, respectively.
Signs and symptoms
The clinical presentation of appendicitis is notoriously
inconsistent. The classic history of anorexia and periumbilical pain followed by nausea, right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain, and vomiting occurs in only
50% of cases. Features include the following:
Abdominal pain: Most common symptom
Nausea: 61-92% of patients
Anorexia: 74-78% of patients
Vomiting: Nearly always follows the onset of pain;
vomiting