Appendicitis News and Research

RSS

Appendicitis is a painful swelling and infection of the appendix. The appendix is a fingerlike pouch attached to the large intestine and located in the lower right area of the abdomen. Scientists are not sure what the appendix does, if anything, but removing it does not appear to affect a person’s health. The inside of the appendix is called the appendiceal lumen. Mucus created by the appendix travels through the appendiceal lumen and empties into the large intestine.

Study finds outpatient laparoscopic appendectomy to be safe, viable in public county hospital

Laparoscopic surgical procedures have many benefits over traditional open operations, like decreased length of stay at the hospital, less postoperative pain for patients, and earlier resumption of an oral diet.

19 Apr 2017

Clinical study to examine whether antibiotics can be safe, effective alternative to appendectomy

For 130 years, surgery has been the standard treatment for appendicitis — inflammation of the appendix, a short tube extending from the colon.

17 Mar 2017

Variation in hospital-level resources may impact diagnostic evaluation of children with appendicitis

At some hospitals, children receive better care in the daytime than they do at night for suspected appendicitis. This is the finding of a study to be published in the April 2017 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine, a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

15 Mar 2017

Antibiotics may be effective treatment for acute appendicitis in children, study shows

A study by researchers at the University of Southampton shows that antibiotics may be an effective treatment for acute non-complicated appendicitis in children, instead of surgery.

17 Feb 2017

Appendix may serve as reservoir for beneficial gut bacteria, new research suggests

The human appendix, a narrow pouch that projects off the cecum in the digestive system, has a notorious reputation for its tendency to become inflamed (appendicitis), often resulting in surgical removal.

10 Jan 2017

Study shows appendicitis patients can be safely discharged on same day of surgery

Patients with acute appendicitis who undergo laparoscopic appendectomy do not experience higher rates of postoperative complications or costly readmissions when sent home on the same day of their operations compared with patients hospitalized overnight, according to study results published online as an "article in press" on the Journal of the American College of Surgeons website ahead of print publication.

15 Nov 2016

Simple steps can improve survival of sepsis patients

Sepsis, commonly called blood poisoning, is a common affliction that can affect people of all ages. A series of simple measures tested at a Norwegian hospital can make a difference in successfully treating sepsis.

31 Aug 2016

Study shows increase in costs of hospitalization for people with private insurance

Even if you have what you might think of as good health insurance, your next hospital stay could cost you more than $1,000 out of your own pocket.

27 Jun 2016

Study indicates mRS is poorly suited to evaluate, report quality of neuro-surgery

Surgery has become a volatile field during the past few years, with study after study challenging prevailing treatment practices. For example, surgical treatment of acute appendicitis and arthroscopic surgery on degenerative knees have been called into question by recent research results reached by Finnish researchers.

18 Apr 2016

Antibiotic treatment for mild appendicitis does not increase risk for complications

Using antibiotics as the primary treatment for mild appendicitis does not increase the risk for complications at least in the first year. But other considerations must also be taken into account, say researchers.

19 Mar 2016

Acute mesenteric ischemia can be treated with balloon angioplasty

Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) can be successfully treated with endovascular therapy such as balloon angioplasty, according to research from the University of Eastern Finland. The study also found that AMI is a more common cause of abdominal pain among the elderly than generally thought; however, it is difficult to diagnose before bowel damage develops.

26 Feb 2016

Researchers find new way to increase patients’ recruitment, retention in clinical trials

By seeking the advice of patients, families and other stakeholders in designing a clinical trial investigating pediatric appendicitis, researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital found a way to significantly increase the number of people recruited and retained in the trial.

12 Feb 2016

Study examines effect of nonoperative treatment for appendicitis

It is too early to change the standard treatment of appendicitis in U.S. adults to initial antibiotic therapy only, rather than surgical removal of the appendix, or appendectomy, authors of a new systematic review study conclude.

18 Dec 2015

Routine use of antibiotics may not reduce infections in severe appendectomies

With acute appendicitis ranking among the nation's most common acute surgical emergencies, researchers studied the relatively routine use of post-operative antibiotics in complicated cases and found that they didn't reduce infections after surgery. They also found that patients who received post-operative antibiotics remained in the hospital up to one day longer than similar patients who had not received antibiotics.

26 Oct 2015

Janssen-sponsored Phase 2b trial shows guselkumab effective in treating moderate to severe plaque psoriasis

Results published today in The New England Journal of Medicine from a Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen)-sponsored Phase 2b trial showed up to 86 percent of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving guselkumab (CNTO 1959) achieved a Physician's Global Assessment (PGA) score of cleared psoriasis or minimal psoriasis at week 16, the study's primary endpoint.

9 Jul 2015

Antibiotic treatment not better than appendectomy for uncomplicated acute appendicitis

Among patients with uncomplicated appendicitis, antibiotic treatment did not meet a prespecified level of effectiveness compared with appendectomy, although most patients who received antibiotic therapy did not require an appendectomy, and for those who did, they did not experience significant complications, according to a study in the June 16 issue of JAMA.

17 Jun 2015

Duration of antibiotic treatment can be cut by half for complicated abdominal infections

In a finding important for preventing the development of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and 22 other institutions have determined that the duration of antibiotic treatment for complicated abdominal infections can be cut by half and remain equally effective.

9 Jun 2015

Acupuncture reduces pain, inflammation in pediatric patients with acute appendicitis

Acupuncture was shown to lessen pain and reduce the underlying inflammation in pediatric patients with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis, according to a study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

15 May 2015

Two thirds of the world’s population have no access to safe and affordable surgery

New estimates suggest that number of people worldwide who are unable to access basic surgery and anaesthesia is more than twice as high as previously thought.

27 Apr 2015

Large majority of people in the world lack access to safe, affordable surgery and anaesthesia

Millions of people are dying from common, easily treatable conditions like appendicitis, fractures, or obstructed labour because they do not have access to, or can't afford, proper surgical care, according to a major new Commission, published in The Lancet.