Appendicitis

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What is Appendicitis?

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Appendicitis is sudden onset of inflammation of the appendix, which is a small, finger-shaped blind-ending sac that branches off the first part of the large intestine (caecum).

Who gets Appendicitis?

Except for a hernia, acute appendicitis is the most common cause in the USA of an attack of severe, acute abdominal pain that requires abdominal operation.

The incidence of acute appendicitis is around 7% of the population in the United States and in European countries. In Asian and African countries, the incidence is probably lower because of the dietary habits of the inhabitants of these geographic areas.

Appendicitis occurs more frequently in men than in women, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.7:1. Appendicitis can effect any age but is more commom before 40 years of age, particularly in young people between 8 and 14 years. Rare cases of neonatal and prenatal appendicitis have been reported.

Predisposing Factors

Appendicitis generally occurs following the obstruction of the appendix by faeces, another foreign body, or on rare occasions, a tumour. The first symptom is cramp like pain around the navel.

There is usually a marked decrease or total lack of appetite, often accompanied by nausea and occasionally, vomiting and fever.

Progression

Appendicitis can sometimes be hard to diagnose as its symptoms vary widely between patients. However, typical symptoms and signs that suggest appendicitis is the sudden onset of central abdominal pain followed by nausea and vomiting.

After a few hours the pain then shifts to the right lower abdomen, and can be localised. The patient generally also has a low grade fever and will have a raised white blood cell count when blood tests are taken.

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