Clinical analysis of 81 pregnancies complicated with acute appendicitis

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment in pregnant women with acute appendicitis. Methods From January 2008 to December 2015, the clinical data of 81 pregnant women with acute appendicitis who were admitted to the department of obstetrics and gynecology in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. Results (1) Clinical symptoms: Abdominal pain was the predominant symptom, with an occurrence rate of 92.59 percent in 81 patients; and 28.39 percent of patients had migration of pain to right lower quadrant. In all cases, the average of body temperature was (37.17±0.70)℃. (2) Tests: In all cases, the white blood cell (WBC) count was (13.82±4.84)×109 per L, neutrophil count was (11.72±4.88)×109 per L, neutrophil percentage was 82.8 percent, C-reactive protein was (92.49±61.31) mg/L, and procalcitonin was (0.20±0.28) ng/ml. (3) Treatment: Thirty-five patients required appendectomy, while 46 patients were treated by parenteral antibiotic treatment, without nonoperative management. Among the 35 patients, 17 cases received open appendectomy in the second trimester, and the other 18 cases had appendectomy during caesarean section in the third trimester. Fifteen cases were diagnosed as acute suppurative appendicitis by pathological examination after operation. Conclusion Master the clinical characteristics of pregnant patients with acute appendicitis and performed early diagnosis and proper treatment, which were important for the pregnancy outcome. Key words: Appendicitis; Pregnancy, high-risk; Pregnancy outcome