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.

Children more likely to suffer from appendicitis in areas with few pediatricians

Children who live in areas with fewer pediatricians are more likely to suffer life-threatening ruptures of the appendix than those in areas with more pediatricians, even when accounting for other factors such as the number of hospitals, imaging technology, insurance coverage and the number of surgeons in an area, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

30 Dec 2010

Merck announces FDA approval for GARDASIL against HPV-related anal cancer

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for the prevention of anal cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 and for the prevention of anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) grades 1, 2 and 3 (anal dysplasias and precancerous lesions) caused by HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18, in males and females 9 through 26 years of age.

23 Dec 2010

Laparoscopic approach still best for most patients, not for all: Study

If skin is the body's fortress against germ invaders, shouldn't minimally invasive surgeries - operations guided by camera probes, conducted entirely within the abdomen - carry less risk for serious infection than procedures that slice the same cavity wide open?

9 Dec 2010

Study reports increased CT usage in emergency departments

A new study reports that the use of computed tomography (CT) in the nation's emergency departments is growing exponentially. If the growth trend continues, by 2011, nearly 20 percent of all emergency department (ED) visits may involve a CT exam. The results of this study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and published online and in the journal Radiology.

29 Nov 2010

Merck announces FDA Advisory Committee approval of GARDASIL for anal cancer and AIN treatment

Merck announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee has advised that the data presented support an indication for GARDASIL® [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16, and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for the prevention of anal cancer and anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) in both males and females 9 through 26 years of age.

18 Nov 2010

Single-incision, robot surgery at UT Southwestern helps fix congenital narrowing of ureters

A stabbing pain in Cameron Giammalva's abdomen came on so suddenly one day during his freshman year of college that he and his friends mistook it for appendicitis.

4 Oct 2010

Emergency physicians to present research studies at Research Forum 2010

The risks associated with boarding admitted patients in the emergency department – including patient mortality – as well as proposed solutions will be key themes of Scientific Assembly, the annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In addition, emergency physicians will present more than 450 research studies during 2010 Research Forum, the premier, annual scientific research event focused on the latest advances in the practice of emergency medicine.

14 Sep 2010

Severity of appendicitis can be predicted from blood sample, shows thesis

The symptoms of appendicitis are often diffuse and it can be difficult to obtain an accurate diagnosis early in the course of the disease. It may be possible to predict the severity from a blood sample, and in this way determine the treatment on an individual basis. This is the conclusion of a thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, sweden.

21 Jun 2010

Study confirms effectiveness of CT for diagnosis of appendicitis

When CT results suggest appendicitis, but a patient's symptoms are inconsistent with the acute condition, physicians should consider a diagnosis of chronic or recurrent appendicitis and surgical treatment, according to a new study published in the online edition and July printed issue of the journal Radiology.

26 May 2010

Arizona's smoking ban reduces hospital admissions for stroke, asthma and angina

Two University of Arizona researchers have studied the relationship between Arizona's 2007 law that bans smoking in public places and hospitalization rates for a range of ailments related to secondhand smoke exposure.

21 May 2010

Black and Hispanic children have high rate of hospital admissions for ruptured appendix

Black children were one-third more likely than white children to be hospitalized for a ruptured appendix in 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

21 Apr 2010

Lack of health insurance to delay emergency treatment during heart attack: Study

Lack of health insurance and financial worries about the cost of care contributed to as much as a six-hour delay in seeking emergency care for a heart attack, according to a first-of-its kind study published April 14 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

17 Apr 2010

Uninsured patients may delay seeking care for heart attacks

Patients who do not have health care insurance, or those with insurance but financial concerns about accessing health care, are more likely to delay seeking emergency care for a heart attack, according to a study in the April 14 issue of JAMA.

16 Apr 2010

Does your insurance policy covers emergency expenses abroad?

You're on the sunny shores of Aruba enjoying your dream vacation. Suddenly, you have excruciating pain in your abdomen. You're rushed to the local hospital where they run tests and diagnose you with appendicitis.

31 Mar 2010

Preoperative CT may help reduce unnecessary surgeries in women with suspected acute appendicitis

Preoperative computed tomography (CT) may help reduce unnecessary surgeries in women of reproductive age with suspected acute appendicitis, according to a new study appearing in the February issue of the journal Radiology.

27 Jan 2010

New study indicates appendicitis may be caused by viral infection

The researchers evaluated data over a 36-year period from the National Hospital Discharge Survey and concluded in a paper appearing in the January issue of Archives of Surgery that appendicitis may be caused by undetermined viral infection or infections, said Dr. Edward Livingston, chief of GI/endocrine surgery at UT Southwestern and senior author of the report.

19 Jan 2010

AspenBio Pharma reports on Premarket Notification submission plans for its ELISA format AppyScore test

AspenBio Pharma, Inc., an emerging bio-science company dedicated to the development of novel diagnostics and drugs for humans and animals, reported on its progress and plans for the Premarket Notification 510(k) submission of its ELISA format AppyScore™ test. AppyScore is the first blood-based test designed to aid in the evaluation of patients suspected of having acute appendicitis.

29 Dec 2009

Presentations at Tuesday's RSNA conference

A new study from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center reports that beverage can stay-tabs pose a potential ingestion risk. In the 1970s, U.S. manufacturers switched to the stay-tab design after safety concerns about pull-tabs. The new study found 19 cases of stay-tab ingestion at a single institution, mainly among teenagers.

30 Nov 2009

Mobile phones with special software now offer accurate diagnosis of acute appendicitis

Radiologists can accurately diagnose acute appendicitis from a remote location with the use of a handheld device or mobile phone equipped with special software, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).