Appendicitis

Table Of Contents

• What is Appendix?
• What is Appendicitis?
• Types of Appendicitis
• Symptoms and Signs of Appendicitis
• Classical symptoms of appendicitis 
• Diagnosis of Appendicitis
• Differential diagnosis of Appendicitis
• Treatment of Appendicitis
• Complications of Appendicitis
• Prevention of appendicitis
  

 

What is Appendix?

Appendix is a thin tube about four inches long, which sits in the right lower abdomen at the junction of the small and large intestine.

 

What is Appendicitis?

Appendicitis is acute inflammation of the appendix. Appendicitis happens when the hollow portion of the appendix get blocked due to a calcified stone made of feces. Bacterial can multiply inside your appendix if it becomes blocked. This can result in the formation of pus and swelling, resulting in painful pressure in your abdomen. Blood flow can also be blocked by appendicitis.

Other causes may include inflamed lymphoid tissue from a viral infection, tumors, gallstone,or parasites.

 

We have two types of appendicitis depending on the onset:

1. Acute appendicitis is a sudden and severe case of appendicitis which requires immediate medical care. The symptoms develop quickly over the course of one to two days. Children and young people between the ages of 10 and 30 years. This is more common in men than in women. Over the course of 24 hours, pain tends to build and escalate swiftly.
2. Chronic appendicitis less common and the symptoms may be relatively mild. The symptoms may  disappear before reappearing again over a period of days, weeks, months, or even years.
   

 

Symptoms and Signs of Appendicitis

• Periumbilical pain that shift to the right lower quadrant after a few hours 
• Pain that gets worse when you cough, move jarringly, or in other ways
  
• Nausea and vomiting 
• Lost of appetite
• Low grade fever
• Diarrhea 
• Constipation
• Bloating abdomen 
• Inability to pass gas
  

Your pain location may vary depending on your age and the position of your appendix. Because your appendix is higher during pregnancy, the pain may appear to come from your upper abdomen when you are pregnant.

Classical symptoms of appendicitis include:

• Right lower quadrant direct and rebound tenderness located at the McBurney point

• Pain felt in the right lower quadrant with palpation of the left lower quadrant 

 If you have any of these symptoms, seek medical help immediatly

 

Diagnosis

• Clinical evaluation

  If your symptoms are not typical, diagnosing appendicitis can be tricky.

  The following tests may be needed to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other conditions

• MRI
• CT scan to check for inflammation of the appendix
  
• Ultrasound scan
  
• Blood tests to check for signs of infection
  
• Urine tests to rule out kidney stones or urinary tract infections

 

Differential diagnosis of Appendicitis

• gastroenteritis
• urinary tract infection
• crohn`s disease
• kidney stones

 

Treatment of Appendicitis

1. The majority of the time, appendicitis is handled as an emergency. Almost all cases of appendicitis are treated with surgery to remove the appendix, Known as an appendectomy.
2. antibiotics

 

Complications of Appendicitis

An infected appendix will eventually burst, releasing bacteria and other debris into your abdominal cavity, which is where your liver, stomach, and intestines are located in the middle of your body. This can result in Peritonitis, a severe inflammation of the lining of the abdominal cavity. If not treated swiftly with potent antibiotics and surgery to remove the pus, it can be fatal.

An abscess can occur outside of an inflamed appendix. The appendix is then 'walled off' from the rest of your organs by scar tissue.

Bacteria from a ruptured abscess may move through your bloodstream to other parts of your body in rare situations. Sepsis is the medical term for this potentially dangerous disorder.

 

Prevention of Appendicitis

Appendicitis cannot be prevented. However, it might be less prevalent in those who consume meals strong in fiber, such as:

• vegetables
• fruits
• oatmeal, whole wheat, etc
• beans, lentils, split peas etc