Appendicitis News and Research

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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.

Two diagnostic tests can help identify children who require surgical treatment for appendicitis

Data from two standard diagnostic tests commonly obtained in children evaluated for abdominal pain--when combined--can improve the ability of emergency department physicians and pediatric surgeons to identify those patients who should be sent to the operating room for prompt removal of an inflamed appendix; those who may be admitted for observation; and those who may safely be discharged home, according to a new study published online as an "article in press" in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

20 Feb 2015

Pharmaceutical industry withdraws from the antibiotic space

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that at least 2 million Americans are sickened by antibiotic resistant infections each year and survive.

13 Oct 2014

Actavis reports positive results from ceftazidime-avibactam Phase III studies in cIAI patients

Actavis plc today confirmed positive topline results from RECLAIM-1 and -2, pivotal Phase III studies evaluating the potential for the investigational antibiotic, ceftazidime-avibactam as a treatment for adult hospitalized patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections.

19 Aug 2014

New algorithm eliminates exposure to radiation when diagnosing children with acute appendicitis

Implementation of an algorithm aimed to diagnose pediatric patients with suspected appendicitis reduces the utilization of computed tomography (CT) scans, without affecting diagnostic accuracy, Mayo Clinic Children's Center researchers have found. The study was recently published in the journal Surgery.

1 Aug 2014

Antibiotics present a safe option for treating children with uncomplicated acute appendicitis

Using antibiotics alone to treat children with uncomplicated acute appendicitis is a reasonable alternative to surgery that leads to less pain and fewer missed school days, according to a pilot study.

15 Apr 2014

Venaxis files 510(k) premarket submission with FDA for APPY1 Test

Venaxis, Inc., an in vitro diagnostic company focused on obtaining FDA clearance for and commercializing its CE Marked APPY1™ Test, a rapid, multiple biomarker-based index assay for identifying patients that are at low risk for appendicitis, today announced that it has filed a 510(k) premarket submission for the APPY1 Test. Venaxis has requested concurrent de novo determination and 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

31 Mar 2014

Venaxis' APPY1 Test for appendicitis shows positive results in pivotal U.S. study

Venaxis, Inc., an in vitro diagnostic company focused on obtaining FDA clearance for and commercializing its CE Marked APPY1 Test, a rapid, multiple biomarker-based assay for identifying patients that are at low risk for appendicitis, today announced positive top-line results from its pivotal U.S. study.

14 Mar 2014

NYSS affiliates with International Journal of Surgery to access important research

The New York Surgical Society (NYSS) has decided to affiliate with the International Journal of Surgery in an agreement that gives members of the Society easy access to the important research published by the journal and marks the growth in the journal's international reach.

4 Mar 2014

Portable ultrasound for kids with suspected appendicitis reduces emergency room length of stay

Using portable ultrasound as a first-line imaging study in kids with suspected appendicitis helps reduce emergency room length of stay and reduces the need for CT scans, according to a team of Mount Sinai researchers.

11 Feb 2014

Active Biotech, Teva remain committed to NERVENTRA clinical development program for multiple sclerosis

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech (NASDAQ OMX NORDIC: ACTI) announced today that both companies remain committed to the NERVENTRA® (laquinimod) clinical development program for multiple sclerosis (MS) following the announcement of a negative opinion for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

27 Jan 2014

Patient enrollment completed for Venaxis' pivotal clinical study of APPY1 Test

Venaxis, Inc., an in vitro diagnostic company focused on obtaining FDA clearance and commercializing its CE Marked APPY1 Test, a rapid, multiple biomarker-based assay for identifying patients that are at low risk for appendicitis, today announced completion of patient enrollment in its pivotal clinical study of the APPY1 Test in the United States.

24 Jan 2014

New classification system to manage emergency surgery described in special issue of BJS

Researchers in Finland have implemented a classification system for emergency operations that allows for a fair and efficient way to manage a large volume of such surgery.

16 Dec 2013

Antibiotic resistance holds stable in U.S. children's hospitals

Two studies published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology show antibiotic resistance patterns for children have held stable over a seven-year period and surgical patients in U.S. children's hospitals account for 43 percent of all antibiotic use in children's hospitals, presenting an opportunity for targeted intervention.

21 Nov 2013

Researchers discover how Yersinia immobilizes immune system to spread within organs

Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have identified how one type of bacteria, Yersinia, immobilizes the immune system in order to grow in the organs of mice. To do so, the researchers extended the use of a technique and suggest that it could be used to study other bacteria that use the same or similar means of infection.

17 Sep 2013

Hospital readmissions rates for children are not meaningful measures of quality of their care

Readmission rates of adult patients to the same hospital within 30 days are an area of national focus and a potential indicator of clinical failure and unnecessary expenditures.

27 Aug 2013

Researchers to examine effectiveness of antibiotic therapy to treat appendicitis in children

In the first study of its kind in the United States, researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital will examine the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy alone to treat appendicitis in children, research that could allow patients to avoid a surgery many may not need.

29 May 2013

Hospital type plays a role in racial disparities and appendicitis outcomes in children

When researchers from UCLA Medical Center investigated the link between racial disparities and appendicitis outcomes in children, they found that the type of hospital in which black, Hispanic and other minority patients receive care-community, children's or county-affects their odds of developing a perforated appendix. The study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons is a first-of-its-kind look at the role hospital type plays in race-based treatment variances among this patient subset.

29 Dec 2012

Appendicitis News and Research

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