Acute appendicitis is
a serious medical condition which is most
common in people 10 to 30 years of age.
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the
appendix. The appendix is a small tube-like
structure that is attached to the beginning
part of the large intestine. It is located
in the lower right portion of the abdomen.
Once the appendix is inflamed there is no
medical therapy. Therefore, surgery is
required to remove the appendix. This is
called an appendectomy.
If treatment is delayed
the appendix could burst causing infection
or possibly death. Acute appendicitis is
caused when the appendix becomes blocked by
stool, a foreign body or cancer. Blockage
may also occur from infection since the
appendix will swell in response to any
infection in the body.
There are many different
symptoms of acute appendicitis. The first
and most common symptom is dull pain near
the navel or the upper abdomen that becomes
sharp as it moves to the lower right
abdomen. Shortly after the abdominal pain
begins nausea and vomiting will begin.
Abdominal swelling, fever of 99 to 102 and
the inability to pass gas are other symptoms
of acute appendicitis. Symptoms that may or
may not be present are painful urination,
severe cramps and constipation or diarrhea
with gas.
It is difficult to
diagnose acute appendicitis. The symptoms
for acute appendicitis are similar to the
symptoms of gallbladder problems, bladder or
urinary tract infection, Crohn's disease,
gastritis, intestinal infection and ovarian
problems.
There are several
different test used to help diagnose acute
appendicitis. An abdominal exam is done to
check for inflammation. Blood test may be
performed to check for infection. A urine
test is done to rule out urinary tract
infection and a CT scan of the abdomen may
be ordered to check for signs of
obstruction.
If you suspect you have
acute appendicitis you should seek
medical attention immediately. Delaying
treatment may cause complications such as a
rupture or tear in the appendix.
If the appendix ruptures,
this can lead to peritonitis and abscess.
This is a dangerous infection that occurs
when bacteria from the torn appendix leak
into the abdomen. If this is not treated
promptly this can lead to organ failure or
death.
Acute appendicitis... it
is definitely not a diagnosis that can be
ignored!
