Learn About Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition in which your appendix gets inflamed. The appendix is a small pouch attached to the end of the large intestine.
Appendicitis is a very common reason for emergency surgery. The problem most often occurs when the appendix becomes blocked by feces, a foreign object, a tumor or a parasite in rare cases.
The symptoms of appendicitis can vary. It can be hard to detect appendicitis in young children, older people, and women of childbearing age.
The first symptom is often pain around the belly button or mid upper abdomen. Pain may be minor at first, but becomes more sharp and severe. You may also have a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever.
The pain tends to move into the right lower part of your belly. The pain tends to focus at a spot directly above the appendix called McBurney point. This most often occurs 12 to 24 hours after the illness starts.
Your pain may be worse when you walk, cough, or make sudden movements. Later symptoms include:
- Chills and shaking
- Hard stools
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Nausea and vomiting
Most of the time, a surgeon will remove your appendix as soon as you are diagnosed.
If a CT scan shows that you have an abscess, you may be treated with antibiotics first. You will have your appendix removed after the infection and swelling have gone away.
The tests used to diagnose appendicitis are not perfect. As a result, the operation may show that your appendix is normal. In that case, the surgeon will remove your appendix and explore the rest of your abdomen for other causes of your pain.
Denver Health And Hospital Authority
Daniel Yeh is a General Surgeon and an Intensive Care Medicine provider in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Yeh and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Appendicitis. His top areas of expertise are Appendicitis, Malnutrition, Gastrointestinal Fistula, Appendectomy, and Gallbladder Removal. Dr. Yeh is currently accepting new patients.
Jonathan Hills-Dunlap is a Pediatric Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Hills-Dunlap and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Appendicitis. His top areas of expertise are Umbilical Hernia, Omphalocele, Appendicitis, Gastrostomy, and Appendectomy. Dr. Hills-Dunlap is currently accepting new patients.
Shannon Acker is a Pediatric Surgeon and a General Surgeon in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Acker and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Appendicitis. Her top areas of expertise are Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, Diaphragmatic Hernia, Hernia, Gastrostomy, and Small Bowel Resection. Dr. Acker is currently accepting new patients.
Most people recover quickly after surgery if the appendix is removed before it ruptures.
If your appendix ruptures before surgery, recovery may take longer. You are also more likely to develop problems, such as:
- An abscess
- Blockage of the intestine
- Infection inside the abdomen (peritonitis)
- Infection of the wound after surgery
Contact your provider if you have pain in the lower-right portion of your belly, or other symptoms of appendicitis.
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block in preoperative pain management for patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis who are scheduled for emergency surgery in the emergency department. The research seeks to assess the potential of TAP block in reducing pain intensity prior to surgical intervention among patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis in th...
Summary: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of TAP block, ESP block, and tramadol in preoperative pain management for patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis and undergoing emergency surgery in the emergency department. The study will evaluate the potential of TAP block and ESP block administered to patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis in the emergency department to reduce pain intensity...
Published Date: May 02, 2023
Published By: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Carlberg DJ, Himelfarb NT. Acute appendicitis. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 79.
Garcia EM, Camacho MA, Karolyi DR, et al. ACR appropriateness criteria right lower quadrant pain -- suspected appendicitis. J Am Coll Radiol. 2018;15(11S):S373-S387. PMID: 30392606 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30392606/.
Rosenthal MD, Sarosi GA. Appendicitis. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology/Diagnosis/Management. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 120.
Sifri CD, Madoff LC. Appendicitis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 78.