Appendicitis
Inflammation of the appendix, a common surgical emergency.
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CoRus13 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The appendix becomes inflamed in appendicitis, a condition that often presents with pain in the lower right abdomen, queasiness, vomiting, elevated body temperature, and reduced desire to eat.[1] Roughly four out of every ten individuals with appendicitis do not experience this classic set of symptoms.[1] If the appendix bursts, serious outcomes can include sepsis and extensive, agonizing inflammation of the abdominal wall's inner lining.[1]
Key facts and history
A primary event in appendicitis is an obstruction of the appendix's lumen, frequently due to a hardened fecal concretion known as a faecolith.[2] The initial step in acute appendicitis appears to be a blockage of the appendix, which then leads to mucus accumulation and swelling.[3] Ongoing mucus secretion raises the pressure inside the appendix's lumen and its walls, which in turn causes small blood vessels to clot and lymphatic fluid to stop flowing.[4] Bacteria escape through the appendix's deteriorating walls, resulting in the formation of pus both inside and around the organ.[4]
Data from 2015 indicates that about 11.6 million people globally experienced appendicitis, with roughly 50,100 deaths attributed to the condition.[5] In the United States, over 300,000 appendectomies are performed each year.[5] The established approach for managing acute appendicitis is to surgically take out the inflamed appendix, which can be done via a traditional open cut or with a laparoscope.[6]
What the research sources say
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases states that to diagnose appendicitis, a doctor will review symptoms and medical history, perform a physical exam, and order lab tests and imaging tests.[7] The NIDDK reports that doctors use an ultrasound as the first imaging test when checking for possible appendicitis in infants, children, young adults, and pregnant women.[7] The NIDDK also states that imaging tests can show if abdominal pain is caused by other conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, kidney stones, or pelvic inflammatory disease.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Appendicitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Appendicitis", Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, November 1996, p. 653–671; "Appendicitis", Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, November 1996, p. 653–671; "Appendicitis", Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, November 1996, p. 653–671; Hobler, "Acute and Suppurative Appendicitis: Disease Duration and its Implications for Quality Improvement", Permanente Medical Journal, Spring 1998 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Appendicitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Obstruction of appendix vermiformis causing acute appendicitis. An experimental study in the rabbit", Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica, 1982, p. 63–72; "Harrison's principles of internal medicine.", McGraw-Hill, 2012, p. Chapter 300; Dölling, "Hidden Appendicoliths and Their Impact on the Severity and Treatment of Acute Appendicitis", Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2024, p. 4166; "Harrison's principles of internal medicine.", McGraw-Hill, 2012, p. Chapter 300; "Harrison's principles of internal medicine.", McGraw-Hill, 2012, p. Chapter 300; "E en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Appendicitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Significance of the obstructive factor in the genesis of acute appendicitis", Archives of Surgery, 1937, p. 496–526; "Obstruction of appendix vermiformis causing acute appendicitis. An experimental study in the rabbit", Acta Chirurgica Scandinavica, 1982, p. 63–72 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Appendicitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Schwartz's principles of surgery", McGraw-Hill, Medical Pub. Division, 2010, p. Chapter 30 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Appendicitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015", Lancet, October 2016, p; "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015", Lancet, October 2; "Appendicitis", Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America, November 1996, p. 653–671; "Surgery for en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Appendicitis" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Harrison's principles of internal medicine.", McGraw-Hill, 2012, p. Chapter 300; "Emergency medicine: a comprehensive study guide", McGraw-Hill, 2011, p. Chapter 84 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). (n.d.). Appendicitis – Diagnosis. Retrieved September 21, 2023, from https://www.niddk. facts only, no text reused. niddk.nih.gov
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Appendicitis (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Inflammatory diseases of the digestive system
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Appendicitis (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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