Appendicitis in a rural hospital: A ten-year statistical survey

Abstract

1. 1. A ten-year statistical study of appendicitis in a rural hospital is presented. 2. 2. Seven hundred twenty-two appendectomies were performed of 1,574 major operations, or 45.8 per cent. 3. 3. Appendectomies from the rural districts amounted to 34.9 per cent which is also the percentage of the total admission from the rural districts. 4. 4. There were five deaths in 722 cases of appendicitis, giving a 0.69 per cent mortality rate. 5. 5. There were forty-six cases of perforated appendix or 6.4 per cent of the total number, with three deaths or 6.5 per cent mortality rate. Of these three, two were patients from the rural district. 6. 6. The average number of hospital days per case was 10.2. Transportation, pregnancy, sex and age had no marked effect on this mortality and morbidity. The time of operation and purgatives aggravated the condition, increasing the morbidity and mortality rate, while antibiotics decreased the hospitalization period and undoubtedly influenced the mortality.