Management Of Acute Appendicitis Research Articles

Differences in the evolution and management of acute appendicitis in patients with COVID-19: a caseÓ?control study

Differences in the evolution and management of acute appendicitis in patients with COVID-19: a caseÓ?control study

State of the Art Review: Evidence based management of acute appendicitis

Introduction: Even though acute appendicitis is the world’s most common emergency general surgical operation, it remains under-researcher with wide variations in care. The aim of this review was to present current evidence on the management of acute appendicitis, focusing on risk assessment, diagnostic modalities, treatment strategies, and special considerations for specific patient populations.
  
 Methods: The writing group conducted a modified Delphi to prioritise topic areas for inclusion in this review. Consensus was achieved when each topic had >70% for either important or strongly important. Scoping reviews of current and grey literature were conducted to identify relevant evidence, focussing on new publications in the last 5 years (2019-2024).
  
 Results: Validated risk scoring systems, such as the Adult Appendicitis Score and the AIRS score, aid in identifying low-risk patients suitable for ambulatory management, while imaging modalities, including CT scans and ultrasound, play a pivotal role in confirming diagnosis and guiding treatment decisions. The review highlights the efficacy of surgical intervention versus antibiotic therapy, emphasising the importance of shared decision-making and individualised treatment plans. Tailored care strategies are needed for elderly patients, pregnant women, and those with appendiceal neoplasms whilst strategies for optimising antibiotic stewardship, minimising negative appendectomy rates, and enhancing postoperative care will provide the best evidence-based care.
  
 Discussion: This review provides evidence-based practices can be integrated into routine clinical care and ongoing education for frontline clinicians. The practice recommendations are designed to be evidence based and can be tailored depending on local resources. These should form the basis of future educational packages and surgical training programmes.
  

Current use of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis.

Acute appendicitis is a common and time-sensitive surgical emergency, requiring rapid and accurate diagnosis and management to prevent complications. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative tool in healthcare, offering significant potential to improve the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis. This review provides an overview of the evolving role of AI in the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis, highlighting its benefits, challenges, and future perspectives. We performed a literature search on articles published from 2018 to September 2023. We included only original articles. Overall, 121 studies were examined. We included 32 studies: 23 studies addressed the diagnosis, five the differentiation between complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis, and 4 studies the management of acute appendicitis. AI is poised to revolutionize the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis by improving accuracy, speed and consistency. It could potentially reduce healthcare costs. As AI technologies continue to evolve, further research and collaboration are needed to fully realize their potential in the diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis.

Does non-operative treatment of appendicitis can replace surgery? - literature overview

Introduction and purpose Acute appendicitis, a common surgical abdominal ailment, mostly affects individuals in their second or third decade of life, with an annual incidence of about 100 cases per 100,000 persons. This literature review aims to synthesize evidence from diverse sources, summarizing optimal practices for clinical implementation. Surgical intervention, achieving almost 100% cure rates, remains the gold standard, emphasizing challenges in patient qualification for non-surgical approachesNon-operative treatment, considered safe for uncomplicated cases, involves antibiotic therapy, with concerns about antibiotic resistance. Summarizing the current understanding of antibiotic therapy of appendicitis seeks to enhance its effective use, decrease adverse incidents in patients, and contribute to the overall safety of both patients and healthcare providers. Material and methods The following review of studies was based on articles obtained from the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Key search terms included acute appendicitis, acute appendicitis conservative treatment, appendectomy, surgical abdominal diaseases, antibiothic therapy. ConclusionsThe literature review highlights the existing challenges in the management of acute appendicitis, acknowledging the efficacy of both methods. While surgical intervention with high cure rates, the increasing popularity of non-operative therapy encourages optimism for comprehensive research in the future. The need for large, randomized studies comparing long-term clinical effectiveness is emphasized, aiming to inform decision-making and optimize patient outcomes.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical management trends for acute appendicitis among the under-25s: a retrospective study

ObjectiveTo describe the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on acute appendicitis management on children and young people (CYP).DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingAll English National Health Service hospitals.PatientsAcute appendicitis admissions (all, simple, complex) by CYP...

Management of acute appendicitis in low- and middle-income countries

Management of acute appendicitis in low- and middle-income countries

Conservative Versus Surgical Management of Acute Appendicitis: A Systematic Review.

Recent studies have discussed the role of antibiotic treatment in the conservative management of acute appendicitis and whether antibiotics are a safe option to replace appendicectomy, which has been the gold standard treatment of acute appendicitis for many years. The bibliographic databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, Embase, Medline, and PubMed comparing conservative versus surgical treatment of acute appendicitis were systematically searched according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Twenty-one studies consisting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses involving 44,699 participants were identified. At least 17,865 participants were treated with antibiotics. Our studies compare antibiotic versus appendicectomy among acute appendicitis patients ranging from 7 to 94 years of age. In most studies, patients received parenteral antibiotics for a total of one to three days, and oral antibiotics such as oral cephalosporin plus metronidazole, oral amoxicillin/clavulanate, oral fluoroquinolones plus Tinidazole upon hospital discharge for a total of 7 to 10 days. The total course of antibiotics for both parenteral and oral regimes ranged from 2 to 16 days, with 10 days being the commonest duration. The recurrence rate following initial antibiotic treatment at one-year follow-up ranged from 13% to 38%, while the mean duration of recurrence ranged from three to eight months. The majority of the patients with recurrence underwent appendicectomy, while some patients were either given a repeat or different course of antibiotics due to the possible presence of antibiotic resistance; however, only 2.4% of the patients were successfully treated upon completion of the second course of antibiotics. Most of the studies concluded that appendicectomy remains the gold standard treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis, given its higher efficacy and lower complication rates. Although antibiotic treatment cannot be routinely recommended, it can be considered an appropriate alternative in selected patients with uncomplicated appendicitis who wish to avoid surgery and also acknowledge the risk of recurrence and the potential need for subsequent surgery at the same time.

96 Maternal and pregnancy outcomes following management of acute appendicitis during pregnancy in the United States

96 Maternal and pregnancy outcomes following management of acute appendicitis during pregnancy in the United States

Outcome of laparoscopic vs open appendectomy in the management of acute appendicitis

The worldwide trend of appendectomy is shifting from conventional open to the laparoscopic technique. The study’s objective was to compare laparoscopic and open appendectomy in terms of various operative and postoperative parameters to find the best operative technique. A prospective comparative study was conducted on 142 patients undergoing laparoscopic (n=43) or open appendectomy (n=99) from 1st February 2022 to 30th January 2023 under the Department of Surgery of Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (KMCTH). In five patients, laparoscopic appendectomy was later converted to open and excluded from the study. The mean operating time for the open appendectomy group was 44.1±13.1 minutes while for the laparoscopic appendectomy group, it was 48.4±14.0 minutes (p=0.047). Visual analogue score taken on 1st, 7th and 30th post-operative day for open and laparoscopic appendectomy were 4.0±2.2 vs 3.6±1.9 (p=0.160); 1.4±1.3 vs 0.6±0.9 (p<0.001) and 0.2±0.5 vs 0.02±0.15 (p=0.107) respectively. The total days of postoperative hospital stay were 1.57±0.96 for open appendectomy and 1.58±1.07 for laparoscopic appendectomy (p=0.843). However, laparoscopic appendectomy group had an earlier return to normal activity (7.30±1.15 days) when compared to the open appendectomy group (8.05±2.42 days) (p=0.023). The laparoscopic appendectomy group also had fewer postoperative complications than the open appendectomy group (18.6% vs 24.2%) (p=0.411). Thus, laparoscopy is a safe and effective method of removal of appendix for acute appendicitis.

Is nonoperative management of appendicitis inferior in the COVID-19 era?

Previous studies on nonoperative management (NOM) of acute appendicitis (AA) indicated comparable outcomes to surgery, but the effect of COVID-19 infection on appendicitis outcomes remains unknown. Thus, we evaluate appendicitis outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the effect of COVID-19 infection status and treatment modality. We hypothesized that active COVID-19 patients would have worse outcomes than COVID-negative patients, but that outcomes would not differ between recovered COVID-19 and COVID-negative patients. Moreover, we hypothesized that outcomes would not differ between nonoperative and operative management groups, regardless of COVID-19 status. We queried the National COVID Cohort Collaborative from 2020 to 2023 to identify adults with AA who underwent operative or NOM. COVID-19 status was denoted as follows: COVID-negative, COVID-active, or COVID-recovered. Intention to treat was used for NOM. Propensity score-balanced analysis was performed to compare outcomes within COVID groups, as well as within treatment modalities. A total of 37,868 patients were included: 34,866 COVID-negative, 2,540 COVID-active, and 460 COVID-recovered. COVID-active and recovered less often underwent operative management. Unadjusted, there was no difference in mortality between COVID groups for operative management. There was no difference in rate of failure of NOM between COVID groups. Adjusted analysis indicated, compared with operative, NOM carried higher odds of mortality and readmission for COVID-negative and COVID-active patients. This study demonstrates higher odds of mortality among NOM of appendicitis and near equivalent outcomes for operative management regardless of COVID-19 status. We conclude that NOM of appendicitis is associated with worse outcomes for COVID-active and COVID-negative patients. In addition, we conclude that a positive COVID test or recent COVID-19 illness alone should not preclude a patient from appendectomy for AA. Surgeon clinical judgment of a patient's physiology and surgical risk should, of course, inform the decision to proceed to the operating room. Therapeutic/Care Management; Level III.

Is nonoperative management of appendicitis safe and effective in multi-morbid patients?

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to (1) compare post-treatment outcomes of operative and nonoperative management of acute appendicitis in multi-morbid patients and (2) evaluate the generalizability of prior clinical trials by determining whether outcomes differ in multi-morbid patients compared to the young and healthy patients who resemble prior clinical trial participants. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using the National Inpatient Sample from 2004 to 2017. We included 368,537 patients with acute, uncomplicated appendicitis who were classified as having 0 or 2+ comorbidities. We compared inpatient morbidity, mortality, length of stay, and costs using propensity scores. Unmeasured confounding was addressed with probabilistic sensitivity analysis. ResultsOverall, 5% of patients without comorbidities were treated nonoperatively versus 20% of multi-morbid patients. Compared to surgery, nonoperative management was associated with a 3.5% decrease in complications (95% confidence interval 3%–4%) for multi-morbid patients, but there was no significant difference for patients without comorbidity. However, nonoperative management was associated with a 1.5% increase in mortality for multimorbid patients (95% confidence interval 1.3%–1.7%). Costs and length of stay were lower for all patients treated with surgery. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that results were robust to the effects of unmeasured confounding. ConclusionOur results raise concerns about the generalizability of clinical trials that compared nonoperative and operative management of appendicitis because (1) those trials enrolled mostly young and healthy patients, and (2) results in multi-morbid patients differ from outcomes in younger and healthier patients.

Interval appendectomy as a safe and feasible treatment approach after conservative treatment for appendicitis with abscess: a retrospective, single-center cohort study

Emergency appendectomy (EA) is the gold standard management for acute appendicitis (AA). However, whether EA or interval appendectomy (IA) after conservative treatment is the optimal approach in AA with abscess remains controversial. This study compared IA and EA in patients presenting with AA accompanied by abscess. This was a retrospective single-center study including 446 consecutive patients undergoing appendectomy between April 2009 and March 2023. AA with abscess was defined as a pericecal abscess observed by computed tomography or abdominal ultrasonography, and patients with signs of peritoneal irritation were excluded. Perioperative outcomes were compared between the patients who directly underwent EA and those who underwent IA after conservative treatment. Among 42 patients (9.4%) with AA and abscess, 34 and 8 patients underwent IA and EA, respectively. The rates of ileocecal resection and postoperative complications were lower in the IA group than in the EA group (3% vs. 50%, P < 0.001 and 9% vs. 75%, P < 0.001, respectively). Colonoscopy before IA was performed in 16 of the 17 patients aged ≥ 40 years in the IA group, and one patient underwent ileocecal resection because of suspicious neoplasm in the root of the appendix. IA after conservative treatment might be considered as the useful therapeutic option for AA with abscess. Colonoscopy during the waiting period between the initial diagnosis and IA should be considered in patients aged ≥ 40 years who may have malignant changes. Implementing IA as a first-line treatment will be beneficial to both patients and healthcare providers.

Management of acute appendicitis during COVID-19 pandemic. Single center data from a tertiary care hospital in Germany.

The unexpected global overload of the health system during COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes inmanagement of acute appendicitis worldwide. Whereas conservative treatment was widely recommended, the appendicectomy remained standard therapy in Germany. We aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic ontreatment routine for acute appendicitis at University Hospital of Magdeburg. Adult patients with clinical and/or radiological diagnosis of acute appendicitis were included in the single center retrospective study. Data was collected to patient demographics, treatment modality and outcomes including morbidity and length of stay. The patient data related to COVID-19 period from March 22, 2020 to December 31, 2021 (649days) were compared to the Non-COVID-19 period from June 12, 2018 to March 21, 2020 (649days). Subgroup analysis related to conservative or surgical treatment has been performed. A total of 385 patients was included in the study, 203 (52.73%) during Non-COVID-19 period and 182 (47.27%) during COVID-19 period. Mean age of entire collective was43.28 years, containing 43.9% female patients (p=0.095). Conservative treatment was accomplished in 49 patients (12.7% of entire collective), increasing from 9.9 % to 15.9% during COVID-19 period (p=0.074). Laparoscopic appendicectomy was performed in 99.3% (n=152) of operated patients during COVID-19 period (p=0.013), followed by less postoperative complications compared to reference period (23.5% vs. 13.1%, p=0.015). The initiation of antibiotic therapy after the diagnosis increased from 37.9 % to 53.3% (p=0.002) during COVID-19 period regardless the following treatment modality. Antibiotic treatment showed shorter duration during pandemic period (5.57days vs. 3.16days, p<0.001) and it was given longer in the conservative treatment group (5.63days vs. 4.26days, p=0.02). The overall length of stay was shorter during COVID-19 period (4.67days vs. 4.12 days, p=0.052) and in the conservative treatment group (3.08days vs. 4.47days, p<0.001). However, the overall morbidity was lower during the COVID-19 period than before (17.2% vs. 7.7%, p=0.005) and for conservative therapy compared toappendicectomy (2 % vs. 14.3%, p=0.016). There was no mortality documented. According to our findings the COVID-19 pandemic had a relevant impact on treatment of acute appendicitis, but it was possible to maintain the traditional diagnostic and treatment pathway. Although laparoscopic appendicectomy remains a recommended procedure, the conservative treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis with excellent short-term outcome can be a safe alternative to surgery during potential new wave of COVID-19 pandemic and in the daily routine.

Association Between Common Empiric Antibiotic Regimens and Clostridioides Difficile Infection in Pediatric Appendicitis

BackgroundClostridioides Difficile Infection (CDI) is a serious antibiotic related complication that has been reported among children undergoing treatment of appendicitis. CDI likelihood amongst different empiric antibiotic regimens for appendicitis remains unclear but likely has important implications for antibiotic stewardship. MethodsA retrospective cohort study of the Pediatric Health Information System was used to examine patients ages 1 through 18 who received operative management of acute appendicitis. Common empiric antibiotic regimens 1) Ceftriaxone & Metronidazole (CM) 2) Piperacillin & Tazobactam (PT) and 3) Cefoxitin were compared. Study outcomes were CDI within 28 days post-appendectomy and 30-day post-appendectomy percutaneous drainage procedures. Subset analyses were repeated to only include hospitals that standardized empiric antibiotic choice. ResultsOf 105,911 patients, 220 (0.21 %) developed CDI. CDI was more common in patients that received CM (CM 0.29 % vs PT 0.15 % vs Cefoxitin 0.18 %; P < 0.01). On adjusted analysis, PT was associated with a lower likelihood of CDI (OR, 0.48; 95%CI, 0.31–0.74) compared to CM which was consistent in hospitals with standardized antibiotic choice. Exposure to more unique antibiotic regimens (OR, 1.70; 95 % CI, 1.50–1.93) and higher total antibiotic days (OR, 1.17; 95 % CI 1.13–1.21) were associated with an increased likelihood of CDI. There was no significant difference in the likelihood of post-appendectomy percutaneous drainage between antibiotic regimens. ConclusionsCDI is rare following appendectomy for pediatric appendicitis. While PT was associated with statistically lower rates of CDI compared to CM, antibiotic stewardship efforts to avoid mixed regimens and decrease overall antibiotic exposure warrant exploration. Level of EvidenceLevel III.

Management of Acute Appendicitis in Children in a University Hospital.

Little is known about the positive predictive value of diagnostic tools for severe acute appendicitis (AA). Our objective was to study a retrospective cohort of patients with AA, emphasizing its laboratory and radiologic features, to establish risk factors for more severe cases of AA. A retrospective cohort study with patients with AA confirmed by biopsy was performed. In each case, examinations were reviewed, data were compared, and laboratory and radiologic findings were established to identify risk factors for severe AA. During the studied period, 405 children, with a mean age of 120 months, were evaluated. Most of the patients were boys (63.2%). C-reactive protein was the best parameter for the diagnosis of perforated AA, with a sensitivity of 88% for values above 173 mg/dL. A total of 64.4% of the patients underwent abdominal ultrasound, and 26% had normal results. Acute appendicitis is a disease with a wide spectrum of complications; thus, it is important to recognize the markers associated with severe cases of AA. High levels of C-reactive protein were the best markers associated with perforated appendicitis, and ultrasound was requested in most of the cases but was not helpful in most of them.

Acute Appendicitis in the Epicenter of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A New York City Single-Center Experience.

Appendectomy is the gold standard for simple appendicitis. During the coronavirus-19 pandemic, it was estimated that appendectomies in the United States decreased by 24%. We aimed to describe trends in acute appendicitis management at a center located in one of the largest epicenters of the pandemic. This is a retrospective cohort study in a single institution located in Queens, New York, of patients who presented with acute appendicitis. A pre-COVID time period, March-June 2019, was compared to peak-COVID, March-June 2020, and late-COVID, March-June 2021. Of the 382 patients admitted with appendicitis during the time periods, 164 were admitted pre-COVID. Appendicitis presentations decreased by 44% during peak-COVID and 23% in late-COVID. Patients were younger during peak-COVID compared to pre-COVID (39 vs 34years old, P = .036). Incidence of complicated appendicitis in pre-, peak-, and late-COVID was equivalent (41% vs 46% vs 45%) and operative management was similar (85% vs 76% vs 79%). Non-operative patients had shorter lengths of stay (pre- vs peak-COVID: 4.6 vs 2.9days, P = .006). Readmission rates were similar between the cohorts across time periods. During peak-COVID, there was a significant decrease in presentation of acute appendicitis but clinical presentation and outcomes remained similar between the cohorts. Patients who were managed non-operatively may be discharged earlier without increased rates of readmissions.

Non-operative treatment for simple acute appendicitis (NOTA) in children during the COVID-19 era: new lessons from the pandemic

Coronavirus (COVID-19) was a pandemic disease that was affecting our medical and surgical daily practice badly. The surgical management of acute appendicitis was the gold standard, but new studies suggest the safety of antibiotic treatment alone. Non-operative treatment for simple acute appendicitis (NOTA) avoids surgery, the risks of general anesthesia, and long hospital stays. It also decreases the risk of exposure to coronavirus. We aimed to study the cost-effectiveness and outcome of NOTA during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared it to single-incision pediatric endo-surgery appendectomy (SIPESA). A prospective cohort study for NOTA of patients from 6 to 12 years old in the COVID-19 pandemic period from April 1st, 2020, to April 30th, 2021, patients were divided into two groups: Group S was managed by SIPESA, and Group N was managed by NOTA. Family education and assurance with detailed explanation were done for early detection of any complications, and we continue monitoring the patients until their complete recovery. Group S had 24 cases (40%), mean age 9.3 years. Group N had 36 cases (60%), mean age 9.1 years. Six cases (17%) in group N were converted to surgical management in the first 6 months of the study. The mean cost dropped from $2736/day to $400/day. The mean psychological stress for the children improved from 4.4 in April to 2 in September. The mean follow-up was 3.5 months. NOTA is a feasible, cost-effective approach, and we recommend it, as we have learned this lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic days.

Safety of Laparoscopic Appendectomy in Complicated Appendicitis in children

ABSTRACT&#x0D; INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergency in pediatric age group. Laparoscopic Appendectomy (LA) is no more a new procedure in pediatric surgery. The idea behind laparoscopy is short hospital stay, minimal complications and better cosmesis especially in overweight and obese patients. Laparoscopy offers detailed and magnified visualization and better access into the whole abdominal cavity. In many pediatric surgery centers, laparoscopic management of acute appendicitis is practiced but we have observed that most of them performed laparoscopic appendectomy for simple straight forward appendicitis. It is generally considered that complicated appendicitis is better managed by open procedure. We have performed laparoscopy in 42 patients of Complicated Appendicitis (CA) and observed that the rate of complication is comparable to the known reported studies.&#x0D; OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to establish safety of laparoscopic appendectomy in complicated appendicitis in children&#x0D; STUDY DESIGN: It was a retrospective study.&#x0D; SETTING: Research was conducted at Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shifa International Hospital Islamabad.&#x0D; DURATION: Duration of study was 3 years after due approval from ethical and research review board.&#x0D; MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present study is a retrospective analytical review of 42 patients who were operated for complicated appendicitis laparoscopically at Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad from January 2018 to December 2020.&#x0D; All patients were enrolled from emergency department. Clinical assessment of the patients were done in the routine way by history and physical examination. Investigations included complete blood count, C reactive protein and ultrasound abdomen and pelvis. Those patients were excluded from the study who had simple non-complicated appendicitis, open appendectomy, those who had laparotomy for other reasons and interval appendectomy. Similarly those patients who were COVID positive were excluded from the study.&#x0D; All those patients who had complicated appendix like perforation, abscess, mass or gangrene were included in the study.&#x0D;  Variables observed in this study were age, sex, operative findings, operative time, hospital stay and post op complications.&#x0D; RESULTS: From January 2018 to December 2020, total 42 patients were included in this study who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis. Complicated appendicitis includes perforated appendicitis, abscess, mass or gangrene. Mean age of the patients was 9.95 with standard deviation of 3.22. Of 42 patients in total, 32 (76%) patients were male and 10 (24%) were female. Mean operative time was 42.5min with standard deviation of 20.03. Mean hospital stay time was 2.23 days with standard deviation of 1.55 (table 1).&#x0D; Out of total 42 patients, 20 (48%) had perforated appendicitis, 9 (21%) patients had appendicular mass, 12 (29%) patients had appendicular abscess and 1 (2%) patient had gangrenous appendicitis. Postoperatively, one patient of perforated appendicitis had trocar site infection. One patient had mass formation with partial obstruction and post-operatively developed urinary retention with peri-orbital puffiness. Two patients of appendicular mass had transaction of appendicular base due to perforated and sloughed appendicular base. One patient of appendicular abscess had large collection in right paracolic gutter. One patient of appendicular abscess developed peritonitis with abscess formation secondary to cecal perforation.&#x0D; CONCLUSION: Our experience with laparoscopy in appendicitis revealed that for complicated appendix laparoscopy is very safe in children with only fewer complications. Although our sample size is small but in our 3 last year experience we learned that laparoscopy may safely be done as a first choice in all patients with appendicitis, whether simple or complicated. Our experience indicates that the apprehension amongst the treating surgeons is not very justified as we routinely do laparoscopy in all appendicitis.&#x0D; KEY WORDS: Laparoscopic appendectomy, complicated appendicitis.

Çocuklarda Akut Apandisitin Ameliyatsız Tedavisi

Abstract&#x0D; Background: Most studies addressing non-operative management for acute appendicitis have focused on adults, and there are limited data available for children. We aimed to evaluate the results of successful non-operative management in children with acute uncomplicated appendicitis with our “additional criteria” and find which factors could be affecting the success rate and which cases could be candidates for non-operative management.&#x0D; Materials and methods: A total of 26 patients who were diagnosed with acute uncomplicated appendicitis and received non-operative management were re-evaluated retrospectively. Defining uncomplicated appendicitis was based on the duration of symptoms (

Feasibility of nonoperative treatment of acute appendicitis in children: a prospective cohort study.

The management of acute appendicitis is a matter of debate even in contemporary era. Non-operative management is proposed as a valid treatment option for acute appendicitis in children. A prospective cohort study was conducted from April 2020 to September 2021 at the National Institute of Child Health, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan, in children aged ≤ 12 years who were suspected of having acute appendicitis. Children with diffuse peritonitis and complex mass on ultrasonography were excluded. All children were kept nil per oral and started on intravenous fluid hydration and antibiotics. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 20. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were applied to determine the statistical significance. A total of 190 patients were admitted with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Thirty-two children with advanced disease underwent surgery. The remaining 158 patients were managed with nonoperative treatment. In 138 (87.3%) patients, resolution of symptoms occurred. Twenty (12.7%) patients underwent operation during the same admission (non-responders). Thirteen (9.4%) patients had recurrence of symptoms and underwent appendectomy. A total of 33 (20.9%) patients had appendectomy either at the primary admission or after discharge. Non-operative treatment was more likely to be successful in patients with symptoms of ≤ 24 h duration (P = 0.02), total leucocyte count of <12 × 109 cells/L (P = 0.005) and smaller size of the appendix on ultrasound (P = 0.001). Among children with uncomplicated acute appendicitis, a non-operative approach resulted in resolution of symptoms in 87.3% of patients at the initial admission. Failure of non-operative treatment and recurrence of disease after discharge from the hospital occurred in 9.4% of patients after successful initial treatment. Thus, the overall success rate at a mean follow-up of 3 months was about 78%.