Treatment Of Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis Research Articles

Antibiotics versus a emergency open appendectomy conservative management- A primary treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: A randomized controlled trial

Antibiotics versus a emergency open appendectomy conservative management- A primary treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: A randomized controlled trial

Antibiotics alone as an alternative to appendectomy for uncomplicated acute appendicitis in adults: Changes in treatment modalities related to the COVID-19 health crisis

SummaryThe massive inflow of patients with COVID-19 requiring urgent care has overloaded hospitals in France and impacts the management of other patients. Deferring hospitalization and non-urgent surgeries has become a priority for surgeons today in order to relieve the health care system. It is obviously not simple to reduce emergency surgery without altering the quality of care or leading to a loss of chance for the patient. Acute appendicitis is a very specific situation and the prevalence of this disease leads us to reconsider this particular disease in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. Indeed, while the currently recommended treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis is surgical appendectomy, the non-surgical alternative of medical management by antibiotic therapy alone has been widely evaluated by high-quality studies in the literature. Insofar as the main limitation of exclusively medical treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis is the risk of recurrent appendicitis, this treatment option represents an alternative of choice to reduce the intra-hospital overload in this context of health crisis. The aim of this work is therefore to provide physicians and surgeons with a practical guide based on a review of the literature on the medical treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis in adults, to offer this alternative treatment to the right patients and under good conditions, especially when access to the operating room is limited or impossible.

Quality of Life and Patient Satisfaction at 7-Year Follow-up of Antibiotic Therapy vs Appendectomy for Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis

Long-term results support antibiotics for uncomplicated acute appendicitis as an alternative to appendectomy. To our knowledge, treatment-related long-term patient satisfaction and quality of life (QOL) are not known. To determine patient satisfaction and QOL after antibiotic therapy and appendectomy for treating uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Open appendectomy vs antibiotics with intravenous ertapenem, 1 g once daily, for 3 days followed by 7 days of oral levofloxacin, 500 mg once daily, and metronidazole, 500 mg 3 times per day. This observational follow-up of the Appendicitis Acuta (APPAC) multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing appendectomy with antibiotics included 530 patients age 18 to 60 years with computed tomography-confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis who were randomized to undergo appendectomy (273 [52%]) or receive antibiotics (257 [49%]). The trial was conducted from November 2009 to June 2012; the last follow-up was May 9, 2018. The data were analyzed in February 2019. In this analysis, post hoc secondary end points of postintervention QOL (EQ-5D-5L) and patient satisfaction and treatment preference were evaluated. Of the 530 patients enrolled in the trial (appendectomy group: 273 [174 men (64%)] with a median age of 35 years; (antibiotic group: 257 [155 men (60%)] with a median age of 33 years), 423 patients (80%) were available for phone interview at a median follow-up of 7 years; 206 patients (80%) took antibiotics and 217 (79%) underwent appendectomy. Of the 206 patients taking antibiotics, 81 (39%) had undergone appendectomy. The QOL between appendectomy and antibiotic group patients was similar (median health index value, 1.0 in both groups; 95% CI, 0.86-1.0; P = .96). Patients who underwent appendectomy were more satisfied in the treatment than patients taking antibiotics (68% very satisfied, 21% satisfied, 6% indifferent, 4% unsatisfied, and 1% very unsatisfied in the appendectomy group and 53% very satisfied, 21% satisfied, 13% indifferent, 7% unsatisfied, and 6% very unsatisfied in the antibiotic group; P < .001) and in a subgroup analysis this difference was based on the antibiotic group patients undergoing appendectomy. There was no difference in patient satisfaction after successful antibiotic treatment compared with appendectomy (cumulative odds ratio [COR], 7.8; 95% CI, 0.5-1.3; P < .36). Patients with appendectomy or with successful antibiotic therapy were more satisfied than antibiotic group patients who later underwent appendectomy (COR, 7.7; 95% CI, 4.6-12.9; P < .001; COR, 9.7; 95% CI, 5.4-15.3; P < .001, respectively). Of the 81 patients taking antibiotics who underwent appendectomy, 27 (33%) would again choose antibiotics as their primary treatment. In this analysis, long-term QOL was similar after appendectomy and antibiotic therapy for the treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Patients taking antibiotics who later underwent appendectomy were less satisfied than patients with successful antibiotics or appendectomy. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01022567.

Parental preferences in treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis comparing surgery to conservative management with antibiotics and their views on research participation.

Studies show that conservative management in acute uncomplicated appendicitis (AUA) is an alternative to surgery. This study aims to determine factors affecting parental preference in management of AUA and their decision for research participation. We conducted surveys on parents whose children were admitted with suspicion of appendicitis but later confirmed not to have appendicitis. Information on appendicectomy versus conservative treatment with antibiotics was provided using a fixed script and standard information leaflet. Questionnaires covered factors influencing decisions, opinions regarding research, treatment preference and demographic data. We excluded parents not fluent in English. Of 113 respondents, 71(62.8%) chose antibiotics, 39(34.5%) chose appendicectomy, and 3(2.7%) had no preference. Reasons given for choosing antibiotics were fear of surgical risks and preferring less invasive treatment. Those choosing appendicectomy expressed preference for definitive treatment and fear of recurrence. Majority were against randomisation (n = 89, 78.8%) and blinding (n = 90, 79.7%). Over half found difficulty involving their child in research (n = 65, 57.5%). Most thought that research is important (66.4%) and beneficial to others (59.3%). Parents who perceived their child as healthy found research riskier (p = 0.039). Educated parents were more likely to find research beneficial to others (p = 0.012) but less accepting of randomisation (p = 0.001).Conclusion: More parents appear to prefer conservative treatment for acute uncomplicated appendicitis. Researchers must consider parental concerns regarding randomisation and blinding.What is Known:• Conservative management of acute uncomplicated appendicitis in paediatric patients is safe and effective, sparing the child the need for an operation; however, neither conservative nor surgical management is proven to be superior.• Randomised controlled trials provide the highest level of evidence, but it is challenging to recruit paediatric patients as participants in such clinical trials.What is New:• More parents prefer conservative management of uncomplicated appendicitis over surgical management for their children due to fear of surgical risks and complications• Randomisation in trial design is significantly associated with a parent's decision to reject their child's participation in a clinical trial.

MODERN VIEWS FOR THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE UNCOMPLICATED APPENDICITIS: APPENDECTOMY OR ANTIBIOTICS?

Summary. The paper reviews the results of randomized controlled trials and meta-analysis data from comparisons of antibiotics and appendectomy in the treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis ) is carried. It has been shown that appendectomy remains in most cases the gold standard for the treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis is proved. At the same time, it is noted that in separate groups of patients with no risk of development of complications and / or with high operational risk in persons with critical violations of vital functions of the body, in case of impossibility to perform an operation, antibiotic therapy can be a highly effective and safe method of treatment is established. Preparations of choice are carbapenems (mepenes), fluoroquinolones III (levofloxacin) and metronidazos/ornizol is indicated.

Cost analysis of antibiotic therapy versus appendectomy for treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: 5-year results of the APPAC randomized clinical trial.

BackgroundThe efficacy and safety of antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis has been established at long-term follow-up with the majority of recurrences shown to occur within the first year. Overall costs of antibiotics are significantly lower compared with appendectomy at short-term follow-up, but long-term durability of these cost savings is unclear. The study objective was to compare the long-term overall costs of antibiotic therapy versus appendectomy in the treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis in the APPAC (APPendicitis ACuta) trial at 5 years.Methods and findingsThis multicentre, non-inferiority randomized clinical trial randomly assigned 530 adult patients with CT-confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis to appendectomy or antibiotic treatment at six Finnish hospitals. All major costs during the 5-year follow-up were recorded, whether generated by the initial visit and subsequent treatment or possible recurrent appendicitis. Between November 2009 and June 2012, 273 patients were randomized to appendectomy and 257 to antibiotics. The overall costs of appendectomy were 1.4 times higher (p<0.001) (€5716; 95% CI: €5510 to €5925) compared with antibiotic therapy (€4171; 95% CI: €3879 to €4463) resulting in cost savings of €1545 per patient (95% CI: €1193 to €1899; p<0.001) in the antibiotic group. At 5 years, the majority (61%, n = 156) of antibiotic group patients did not undergo appendectomy.ConclusionsAt 5-year follow-up antibiotic treatment resulted in significantly lower overall costs compared with appendectomy. As the majority of appendicitis recurrences occur within the first year after the initial antibiotic treatment, these results suggest that treating uncomplicated acute appendicitis with antibiotics instead of appendectomy results in lower overall costs even at longer-term follow-up.

Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Appendicitis: A Long-Term Cost Effectiveness Analysis.

Background. Recent clinical trials suggest that nonoperative management (NOM) of patients with acute, uncomplicated appendicitis is an acceptable alternative to surgery. However, limited data exist comparing the long-term cost-effectiveness of nonoperative treatment strategies. Design. We constructed a Markov model comparing the cost-effectiveness of three treatment strategies for uncomplicated appendicitis: 1) laparoscopic appendectomy, 2) inpatient NOM, and 3) outpatient NOM. The model assessed lifetime costs and outcomes from a third-party payer perspective. The preferred strategy was the one yielding the greatest utility without exceeding a $50,000 willingness-to-pay threshold. Results. Outpatient NOM cost $233,700 over a lifetime; laparoscopic appendectomy cost $2500 more while inpatient NOM cost $7300 more. Outpatient NOM generated 24.9270 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), while laparoscopic appendectomy and inpatient NOM yielded 0.0709 and 0.0005 additional QALYs, respectively. Laparoscopic appendectomy was cost-effective compared with outpatient NOM (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio $32,300 per QALY gained); inpatient NOM was dominated by laparoscopic appendectomy. In one-way sensitivity analyses, the preferred strategy changed when varying perioperative mortality, probability of appendiceal malignancy or recurrent appendicitis after NOM, probability of a complicated recurrence, and appendectomy cost. A two-way sensitivity analysis showed that the rates of NOM failure and appendicitis recurrence described in randomized trials exceeded the values required for NOM to be preferred. Limitations. There are limited NOM data to generate long-term model probabilities. Health state utilities were often drawn from single studies and may significantly influence model outcomes. Conclusion. Laparoscopic appendectomy is a cost-effective treatment for acute uncomplicated appendicitis over a lifetime time horizon. Inpatient NOM was never the preferred strategy in the scenarios considered here. These results emphasize the importance of considering long-term costs and outcomes when evaluating NOM.

Antibiotic therapy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Appendectomy has been the gold standard for every form of appendicitis. In recent years, though, it has repeatedly been claimed that for acute uncomplicated appendicitis, antibiotic therapy can be an equivalent treatment. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine if antibiotic therapy is a safe and effective alternative to appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis. In a systematic literature review, relevant databases were searched for randomized studies comparing appendectomy with antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. The primary endpoint was the successful treatment of appendicitis. Secondary endpoints were pain intensity, duration of hospitalization, absence from work, and the incidence of complications. Five randomized controlled studies (n = 1430 patients) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of the 727 patients treated initially with antibiotics, 272 (37.4%) underwent secondary appendectomy within 1year (treatment effectiveness: 62.6% compared to 96.3% in the surgical group, RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.55-0.76, p < 0.00001). Neither duration of hospital stay (MD 0.11days, 95% CI: - 0.22-0.43, p = 0.53) nor the probability of complication-free treatment (RR 1.08, 95% CI: 0.97-1.22, p = 0.16) were significantly different between the two treatments. Absence from work was significantly shorter in the antibiotic group (MD - 2.49days, 95% CI: - 4.59-- 0.40, p = 0.02). This meta-analysis shows that appendectomy is more effective than antibiotic therapy for definitive cure of acute uncomplicated appendicitis. However, since the incidence of complications does not differ between the two treatments, antibiotic therapy might be a reasonable alternative for selected patients.

Laparoscopic appendicectomy is superior to open surgery for complicated appendicitis.

Over the last three decades, laparoscopic appendicectomy (LA) has become the routine treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The role of laparoscopic surgery for complicated appendicitis (gangrenous and/or perforated) remains controversial due to concerns of an increased incidence of post-operative intra-abdominal abscesses (IAA) in LA compared to open appendicectomy (OA). The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of LA versus OA for complicated appendicitis. A systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane Database for randomised controlled trials (RCT) and case-control studies (CCS) that compared LA with OA for complicated appendicitis. Data from three RCT and 30 CCS on 6428 patients (OA 3,254, LA 3,174) were analysed. There was no significant difference in the rate of IAA (LA = 6.1% vs. OA = 4.6%; OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.71-1.47, p = 0.91). LA for complicated appendicitis has decreased overall post-operative morbidity (LA = 15.5% vs. OA = 22.7%; OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.31-0.59, p < 0.0001), wound infection, (LA = 4.7% vs. OA = 12.8%; OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.19-0.36, p < 0.001), respiratory complications (LA = 1.8% vs. OA = 6.4%; OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.13-0.49, p < 0.001), post-operative ileus/small bowel obstruction (LA = 3.1% vs. OA = 3.6%; OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.42-1.0, p = 0.048) and mortality rate (LA = 0% vs. OA = 0.4%; OR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.04-0.61, p = 0.008). LA has a significantly shorter hospital stay (6.4days vs. 8.9days, p = 0.02) and earlier resumption of solid food (2.7days vs. 3.7days, p = 0.03). These results clearly demonstrate that LA for complicated appendicitis has the same incidence of IAA but a significantly reduced morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay compared with OA. The finding of complicated appendicitis at laparoscopy is not an indication for conversion to open surgery. LA should be the preferred treatment for patients with complicated appendicitis.

Methods of conservative antibiotic treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis: A systematic review.

BACKGROUNDMeta-analyses and a recent guideline acknowledge that conservative management of uncomplicated appendicitis with antibiotics can be successful for patients who wish to avoid surgery. However, guidance as to specific management does not exist.METHODSPUBMED and EMBASE search of trials describing methods of conservative treatment was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.RESULTSThirty-four studies involving 2,944 antibiotic-treated participants were identified. The greatest experience with conservative treatment is in persons 5 to 50 years of age. In most trials, imaging was used to confirm localized appendicitis without evidence of abscess, phlegmon, or tumor. Antibiotics regimens were generally consistent with intra-abdominal infection treatment guidelines and used for a total of 7 to 10 days. Approaches ranged from 3-day hospitalization on parenteral agents to same-day hospital or ED discharge of stable patients with outpatient oral antibiotics. Minimum time allowed before response was evaluated varied from 8 to 72 hours. Although pain was a common criterion for nonresponse and appendectomy, analgesic regimens were poorly described. Trials differed in use of other response indicators, that is, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, and reimaging. Diet ranged from restriction for 48 hours to as tolerated. Initial response rates were generally greater than 90% and most participants improved by 24 to 48 hours, with no related severe sepsis or deaths. In most studies, appendectomy was recommended for recurrence; however, in several, patients had antibiotic retreatment with success.CONCLUSIONWhile further investigation of conservative treatment is ongoing, patients considering this approach should be advised and managed according to study methods and related guidelines to promote informed shared decision-making and optimize their chance of similar outcomes as described in published trials. Future studies that address biases associated with enrollment and response evaluation, employ best-practice pain control and antibiotic selection, better define cancer risk, and explore longer time thresholds for response, minimized diet restriction and hospital stays, and antibiotic re-treatment will further our understanding of the potential effectiveness of conservative management.LEVEL OF EVIDENCESystematic review, level II.

Optimising the antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: a protocol for a multicentre randomised clinical trial (APPAC II trial)

BackgroundBased on epidemiological and clinical data acute appendicitis can present either as uncomplicated (70–80%) or complicated (20–30%) disease. Recent studies have shown that antibiotic therapy is both safe and cost-effective for a CT-scan confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis. However, based on the study protocols to ensure patient safety, these randomised studies used mainly broad-spectrum intravenous antibiotics requiring additional hospital resources and prolonged hospital stay. As we now know that antibiotic therapy for uncomplicated acute appendicitis is feasible and safe, further studies evaluating optimisation of the antibiotic treatment regarding both antibiotic spectrum and shorter hospital stay are needed to evaluate antibiotics as the first-line treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis.MethodsAPPAC II trial is a multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority randomised controlled trial comparing per oral (p.o.) antibiotic monotherapy with intravenous (i.v.) antibiotic therapy followed by p.o. antibiotics in the treatment of CT-scan confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Adult patients with CT-scan diagnosed uncomplicated acute appendicitis will be enrolled in nine Finnish hospitals. The intended sample size is 552 patients.Primary endpoint is the success of the randomised treatment, defined as resolution of acute appendicitis resulting in discharge from the hospital without the need for surgical intervention and no recurrent appendicitis during one-year follow-up. Secondary endpoints include post-intervention complications, late recurrence of acute appendicitis after one year, duration of hospital stay, pain, quality of life, sick leave and treatment costs. Primary endpoint will be evaluated in two stages: point estimates with 95% confidence interval (CI) will be calculated for both groups and proportion difference between groups with 95% CI will be calculated and evaluated based on 6 percentage point non-inferiority margin.DiscussionTo our knowledge, APPAC II trial is the first randomised controlled trial comparing per oral antibiotic monotherapy with intravenous antibiotic therapy continued by per oral antibiotics in the treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The APPAC II trial aims to add clinical evidence on the debated role of antibiotics as the first-line treatment for a CT-confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis as well as to optimise the non-operative treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov, NCT03236961, retrospectively registered on the 2nd of August 2017.

A randomised placebo-controlled double-blind multicentre trial comparing antibiotic therapy with placebo in the treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: APPAC III trial study protocol

IntroductionRecent studies show that antibiotic therapy is safe and feasible for CT-confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Spontaneous resolution of acute appendicitis has already been observed over a hundred years ago. In...

Antibiotic treatment vs. appendectomy for non-perforated appendicitis in adults

For decades, the mandatory treatment for acute uncomplicated appendicitis was urgent appendicectomy. This dogma has now been questioned by several randomized controlled trials, which demonstrated the safety of antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated appendicitis without increased morbidity and mortality. The efficacy of this conservative treatment, however, is inferior to surgery: Within the first year after antibiotic treatment of acute appendicitis, approximately 30% of patients require appendicectomy. Within 5 years the rate of appendicectomy increases to 40% and the life-long risk of appendicectomy after conservative treatment can be expected to be even higher. The advantages of conservative treatment of appendicitis are faster recovery and the lack of postoperative wound pain; however, all currently available trials compared conservative treatment almost exclusively with conventional appendicectomy, trials comparing laparoscopic appendicectomy to antibiotics are currently not available. As laparoscopic appendicectomy is awell-established and safe treatment ubiquitously available in Germany, conservative treatment in patients with uncomplicated appendicitis cannot generally be recommended. As antibiotic treatment is a less effective but equally safe procedure, it can be offered to selected patients only.

2412 Cost effectiveness analysis of operative Versus antibiotic management for uncomplicated appendicitis

2412 Cost effectiveness analysis of operative Versus antibiotic management for uncomplicated appendicitis

CONTRACT Study - CONservative TReatment of Appendicitis in Children (feasibility): study protocol for a randomised controlled Trial

BackgroundCurrently, the routine treatment for acute appendicitis in the United Kingdom is an appendicectomy. However, there is increasing scientific interest and research into non-operative treatment of appendicitis in adults and children. While a number of studies have investigated non-operative treatment of appendicitis in adults, this research cannot be applied to the paediatric population. Ultimately, we aim to perform a UK-based multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the clinical and cost effectiveness of non-operative treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children, as compared with appendicectomy. First, we will undertake a feasibility study to assess the feasibility of performing such a trial.Methods/designThe study involves a feasibility RCT with a nested qualitative research to optimise recruitment as well as a health economic substudy. Children (aged 4–15 years inclusive) diagnosed with acute uncomplicated appendicitis that would normally be treated with an appendicectomy are eligible for the RCT. Exclusion criteria include clinical/radiological suspicion of perforated appendicitis, appendix mass or previous non-operative treatment of appendicitis. Participants will be randomised into one of two arms. Participants in the intervention arm are treated with antibiotics and regular clinical assessment to ensure clinical improvement. Participants in the control arm will receive appendicectomy. Randomisation will be minimised by age, sex, duration of symptoms and centre. Children and families who are approached for the RCT will be invited to participate in the embedded qualitative substudy, which includes recording of recruitment consultants and subsequent interviews with participants and non-participants and their families and recruiters. Analyses of these will inform interventions to optimise recruitment. The main study outcomes include recruitment rate (primary outcome), identification of strategies to optimise recruitment, performance of trial treatment pathways, clinical outcomes and safety of non-operative treatment. We have involved children, young people and parents in study design and delivery.DiscussionIn this study we will explore the feasibility of performing a full efficacy RCT comparing non-operative treatment with appendicectomy in children with acute uncomplicated appendicitis. Factors determining success of the present study include recruitment rate, safety of non-operative treatment and adequate interest in the future RCT. Ultimately this feasibility study will form the foundation of the main RCT and reinforce its design.Trial registrationISRCTN15830435. Registered on 8 February 2017.

Conservative antibiotic treatment for acute uncomplicated appendicitis is feasible

Appendectomy versus conservative antibiotic treatment (CAT) for children with acute uncomplicated appendicitis (AUA) remains unresolved, with concerns regarding the practicality of CAT. We analyzed our center's experience with CAT for AUA, using a protocol with strict inclusion, exclusion and treatment criteria. Non-randomized, prospective cohort study included all children admitted betwee 2014 and 2016, with clinical and laboratory tests suspicious for AUA. Data collected included clinical signs and symptoms; laboratory, ultrasound and pathology results. Follow-up was conducted through clinic visits, telephone conversations and national registry analysis. Included in CAT: 362 children, 19 underwent appendectomy within 1-2days. Overall, 75 were readmitted for recurrent acute appendicitis during 22months (6-43) follow-up. Thirty were treated successfully with antibiotics a second time. The remaining 45 had appendectomy. Overall, 86.8% underwent CAT with no surgery. Histology of all recurrent AUA revealed no perforations. We confirm the feasibility of conservative management of AUA in children. A rigorous diagnostic plan with strict inclusion and exclusion criteria will lead to high success rate of CAT with a strong safety profile. CAT does not compete with surgery or render appendectomy unnecessary. It is a safe alternative to surgery in selected cases.

Patient Preferences for Surgery or Antibiotics for the Treatment of Acute Appendicitis

Studies have compared surgical with nonsurgical therapy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis, but none of these studies have a patient-centered perspective. To evaluate how patients might choose between surgical and nonsurgical therapy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis and to identify targets to make antibiotic treatment more appealing. This study comprised an online survey and an in-person sensitivity analysis survey. For the web survey, a convenience sample of 1728 respondents were asked to imagine that they or their child had acute uncomplicated appendicitis, provided information about laparoscopic and open appendectomy and antibiotic treatment alone, and asked which treatment they might choose. The web survey was open from April 17, 2016, through June 16, 2016, and was disseminated via email link, a poster with a Quick Response code, and social media. For the sensitivity analysis, 220 respondents were given the same scenario and options. Those who chose surgery were asked whether certain factors influenced their decision; each factor was incrementally improved during questioning about whether respondents would consider switching to antibiotics. These participants were recruited at public venues from June 3, 2016, to July 31, 2016. Web survey data were analyzed from June 17, 2016, to September 21, 2017. Sensitivity analysis data were analyzed from August 1, 2016, to September 21, 2017. Treatment preferences. Among the 1728 web survey respondents, 1225 (70.9%) were female and 500 (28.9%) were male (3 [0.2%] either did not answer or responded as "gender fluid" within the comments section of the survey), and most self-reported being between 50 and 59 years of age (391 [22.6%]) and being non-Hispanic white (1563 [90.5%]). For themselves, 1482 respondents (85.8%) chose laparoscopic appendectomy, 84 (4.9%) chose open appendectomy, and 162 (9.4%) chose antibiotics alone. For their child, 1372 respondents (79.4%) chose laparoscopic appendectomy, 106 (6.1%) open appendectomy, and 250 (14.5%) antibiotics alone. Respondents were somewhat more likely to choose antibiotics for themselves if they had education beyond college (105 [12.6%]; P < .001), identified as other than non-Hispanic white (24 [14.9%]; P < .001), or did not know anyone who had previously been hospitalized (12 [15.8%]; P = .02), but they were less likely to choose antibiotics if they were surgeons (11 [5.4%]; P = .008). Of the 220 participants interviewed for the sensitivity analysis, 120 (54.5%) were female and 100 (45.5%) were male, and most self-reported being between 18 and 24 years of age (53 [24.1%]) and being non-Hispanic white (204 [92.7%]). Their responses suggested that improvements in the short- and long-term failure rate of antibiotic treatment-rather than reductions in the duration of hospitalization or antibiotic treatment-were more likely to increase the desirability of choosing antibiotics. Most patients may choose surgical intervention over antibiotics alone in treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis, but a meaningful number may choose nonoperative management. Therefore, from a patient-centered perspective, this option should be discussed with patients, and future research could be directed at reducing the failure and recurrence rates of antibiotic treatment for appendicitis.

Effectiveness of conservative management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: A single hospital based prospective study

BackgroundAcute appendicitis is one of the commonest causes of acute abdomen. There is a wide discussion and controversy on the surgical and nonsurgical treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of the conservative management of selected cases of acute appendicitis with an antibiotic first plan. Patients and methodsThis was a single hospital-based prospective study with a duration of 25 months. Patients with clinical and radiological features of acute appendicitis presenting within 72 h of the beginning of abdominal pain with Alvarado score ≥5 were included. The patients received a therapeutic dose of broad-spectrum antibiotics and symptomatic treatment. The follow-up period was 6 months. Results90 patients were evaluated, 54 (60%) patients were female and 36 (40%) patients were male with mean age 34.4 years. Conservative treatment was successful in 68 (75.6%) patients and failed in 22 (24.4%) patients. No mortality recorded in this study. The main complications which occurred in those patients who failed to respond to conservative treatment were perforated appendicitis (3 patients), appendicular abscess (3 patients) and appendicular mass (4 patients). ConclusionMajority of cases of the first attack of uncomplicated acute appendicitis can be treated successfully by conservative treatment. However, conservative treatment demands precise communication, close monitoring and follow-up to recognize failure which needs to be treated immediately by surgery.

A prospective non-randomized controlled, multicenter trial comparing Appendectomy and Conservative Treatment for Patients with Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis (the ACTUAA study)

Acute appendicitis (AA) is among the most common causes of lower abdominal pain and admissions to the emergency department. Over the past 20years, there has been a renewed interest in the conservative management of uncomplicated AA, and several studies demonstrated that an antibiotic-first strategy is a viable treatment option for uncomplicated AA. The aim of this prospective non-randomized controlled, multicenter trial is to compare antibiotic therapy and emergency appendectomy as treatment for patients with uncomplicated AA confirmed by US and/or CT or MRI scan. All adult patients in the age range 18 to 65years with suspected AA, consecutively admitted to the Surgical Department of the 13 participating Italian Hospitals, will be invited to take part in the study. A multicenter prospective collected registry developed by surgeons, radiologists, and pathologists with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis represents the best research method to assess the long-term role of antibiotics in the management of the disease. Comparison will be made between surgical and antibiotic-first approaches to uncomplicated AA through the analysis of the primary outcome measure of complication-free treatment success rate based on 1-year follow-up. Quality of life, length of hospital stay, pain evaluation, and time to return to normal activity will be evaluated as secondary outcome measures. Clinicaltrials.gov ID: NCT03080103.

Economic evaluation of antibiotic therapy versus appendicectomy for the treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis from the APPAC randomized clinical trial.

An increasing amount of evidence supports antibiotic therapy for treating uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The objective of this study was to compare the costs of antibiotics alone versus appendicectomy in treating uncomplicated acute appendicitis within the randomized controlled APPAC (APPendicitis ACuta) trial. The APPAC multicentre, non-inferiority RCT was conducted on patients with CT-confirmed uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Patients were assigned randomly to appendicectomy or antibiotic treatment. All costs were recorded, whether generated by the initial visit and subsequent treatment or possible recurrent appendicitis during the 1-year follow-up. The cost estimates were based on cost levels for the year 2012. Some 273 patients were assigned to the appendicectomy group and 257 to antibiotic treatment. Most patients randomized to antibiotic treatment did not require appendicectomy during the 1-year follow-up. In the operative group, overall societal costs (€5989·2, 95 per cent c.i. 5787·3 to 6191·1) were 1·6 times higher (€2244·8, 1940·5 to 2549·1) than those in the antibiotic group (€3744·4, 3514·6 to 3974·2). In both groups, productivity losses represented a slightly higher proportion of overall societal costs than all treatment costs together, with diagnostics and medicines having a minor role. Those in the operative group were prescribed significantly more sick leave than those in the antibiotic group (mean(s.d.) 17·0(8·3) (95 per cent c.i. 16·0 to 18·0) versus 9·2(6·9) (8·3 to 10·0) days respectively; P < 0·001). When the age and sex of the patient as well as the hospital were controlled for simultaneously, the operative treatment generated significantly more costs in all models. Patients receiving antibiotic therapy for uncomplicated appendicitis incurred lower costs than those who had surgery.