Appendicitis Review

appendicitis

One Thursday afternoon, my husband pulled in the driveway early from work. He said that he was sick and that they sent him home. I didn't think anything of it, because our children had been vomiting that week themselves, so I just assumed he had contracted the flu from our kids. He went straight to bed and got up occasionally to vomit. The one thing I found strange, he was spending a long time in the bathroom. Once, I even went in to check and make sure he was okay. I am one that thinks that men tend to overreact when they are sick, heck, my husband has a foot in the grave when he has a cold!

He spend the night up and down in the bathroom vomiting, but the next day, while he still felt a little sore in the belly, he felt much better. He ate a piece of toast and was able to keep it down. He even watched the kids for me while I ran an errand. That night, he decided he wanted some soup, so we made him some noodle soup and he ate a little. I took his temp and it was normal. A few minutes later, he came into the bedroom and put his head on the bed. I thought, “Oh jeez, he has to make me see him sick and needs pity.”

Less than ten minutes after that, he collapsed on the floor in pain. He was hollering for help and that he needed a doctor. He ended up banging his head on the wall in pain. At that point, I knew it was serious. I called 911 and called my parents to come sit with the kids. Thank God they were in bed sleeping. They took us to the ER and he vomited up the soup. His temps were fine, blood work showed normal white blood cell counts, x-ray showed like he had gas very bad in his small intestine, then he had a CT scan (which is supposed to show a rupture or appendicitis), and that only turned up again with swollen small intestine. They couldn't figure it out, so they admitted him and had a surgeon look at the CT scan. The surgeon saw the same thing as the ER doctors and told us that they would give him 24 hours, and if the pain didn't ease up, then they would go in with a scope and check out what was going on. About 30 minutes later, the surgeon came back and said that he'd be back that afternoon and they would do the scope then, just in case it was the appendix.

After about an hour in surgery, they found that his appendix had, in fact, ruptured and his belly was full of pus. Luckily, the doctor was able to take care of it with laser surgery, not cutting him open, and said he got him all cleaned out good. He would have to stay in the hospital several days on antibiotics to prevent infection.

We went home almost a week after he had gone to the ER, and I found it odd that they didn't send him home on any antibiotics, but they said he didn't need them. Well, a week later, we were back in the ER and he was in even more pain than when he had ruptured. This time, he was literally screaming in pain.

Our ER experience mirrored that of our last visit. They took him for x-rays, CT scan, blood work, etc. Everything came back the same as the last time, so they just decided to treat it as an infection, and that did the trick. He spent a couple of days in the hospital, and this time, they sent him home on antibiotics.

Even though my husband's experience was not typical, you should be very careful and watchful for warning signs of appendicitis and rupture, because you can die from it! Here are the “typical” warning signs and symptoms of appendicitis and appendix rupture.

First of all, the appendix is a little finger-like pouch at the end of your large intestine on the lower, right side of your body. Appendicitis is when your appendix becomes inflamed and full of pus.

-First signs of appendicitis are pain around your belly button or lower abdomen. As it progresses, the pain goes to the right lower abdomen and becomes more severe over a period of 10-12 hours. The treatment is the surgical removal of the appendix.

Signs other than pain:
-Nausea and vomiting
-Low appetite
-Constipation or diarrhea
-Inability to pass gas
-Swollen belly
-Low fever
-Elevated white blood cell count

Please make sure to consult a physician if you suspect any problem! Better safe than sorry, as I say! Even though it may not be an appendix problem, it could be something else! Don't take pain lightly. Pain is there to tell us something is wrong!

Appendicitis in Children

Appendicitis is defined as the inflammation of the appendix. The appendix is the small finger shaped branch connected to the large intestine. The appendix is located in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen. The function of the appendix is not known. Although it appears that the appendix has no use for the present day, scientists still speculate on the organs past functions.

Appendicitis affects people across all age, cultural, gender, and socio-economic barriers. Although anyone can be affected by appendicitis, the condition is not contagious.

There are many ways in which appendicitis can develop, although there is no obvious reason for it's onset. Appendicitis sometimes develops when partially digested food particles cause a blockage in the appendix. The appendix becomes inflamed as a result of the blockage and appendicitis further develops. Appendicitis sometimes develops after the large intestine becomes infected. The appendix is in close proximity to the large intestine and may be infected to due location.

Appendicitis is a condition with many symptoms which may vary in intensity from person to person. The first symptom of Appendicitis is usually an ache surrounding the belly button. Vomiting often follows the initial pain leading to sharp pain in the lower right abdominal quadrant. Some Appendicitis sufferers describe pain associated with Appendicitis as bad indigestion pains or stomach cramps. As Appendicitis progresses, the sufferer may lose his or her appetite and develop a slight fever.

Anytime Appendicitis is suspected, the health care provider will advise the sufferer to go the emergency room or office for an immediate evaluation. Once at the appropriate facility, the health care provider will perform a detailed physical examination to determine if Appendicitis is the culprit.

The health care provider often begins the physical examination by checking for tenderness in the abdomen paying especially close attention to pain in the lower right abdominal quadrant. This spot located in the lower right abdominal quadrant is called McBurney's point. People suffering form Appendicitis experience a sensation called rebound tenderness in and directly surrounding McBurney's point. Rebound tenderness is checked by applying direct pressure to McBurney's point. Relief is felt by the sufferer when McBurney's point is depressed. Pain is experienced when the applied pressure is lifted. Rebound tenderness is a classic sign of Appendicitis.

Blood samples may be taken to assess the white blood cell count. A high number of white blood cells present may be indicative of infection. X-rays and CT scans are often performed to further examine the abdomen.

If the health care provider makes a positive diagnosis of Appendicitis, the appendix will need to be removed. The removal of the appendix is called an appendectomy. Since there is no known use for the appendix, the Appendicitis sufferer will be able to lead a fully functioning life after appendix removal.

The appendectomy is performed under anesthesia. The surgeon will make a small incision to remove the appendix. A small scar will be visible after the appendectomy.

After an appendectomy, several days of follow and monitoring are done at the health care facility. Recovery times vary but most people are fully recovered in 3 weeks.

appendicitis

Unlike many other conditions that cause abdominal discomfort, there is no way to prevent appendicitis. Furthermore, appendicitis requires immediate medical attention. Once an appendix ruptures, the blood stream and nearby organs can become infected. If left untreated, appendicitis can result in death. With this said, early detection is paramount. Here are a few tips for recognizing early signs of appendicitis.

• Abdominal Discomfort. Many medical conditions cause abdominal discomfort. This ranges from mild conditions such as constipation to serious illnesses like stomach or colon cancer. Early symptoms of appendicitis are usually vague. Thus, many will attribute pain or discomfort to other less serious conditions such as gas. With appendicitis, pain usually begins near the navel area and gradually moves to the lower right abdomen. As the condition progresses, symptoms will intensify. The discomfort is best described as a sharp pain, which impeded movement. Back pain is also common.

• Fever. If appendicitis is suspected, take your temperature. Often times, those suffering from appendicitis will have a low grade fever.

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Loss of Appetite

Treatment Options for Appendicitis

Unfortunately, appendicitis cannot be treated with medications. Instead, surgery is necessary to remove the appendix before it ruptures. This procedure is called an appendectomy. By removing the appendix, physicians hope to prevent an infection, which could spread to other organs located in the abdomen. 

Because appendicitis if often hard to diagnose, doctors may delay surgery until certain. Many conditions cause similar pain in the lower or upper right abdomen. These might include gallstones, kidney stones, excessive gas, etc. On average, patients must wait a few hours before having surgery. However, medication is administered to mask the pain. 

Appendectomies can be preformed laparoscopic. This procedure involves three or four small incisions in the lower abdomen. Once the appendix is removed, most people feel immediate relief and can go home within a few hours.
On the other hand, if appendicitis is treated after the appendix has burst, a longer hospital stay may be required. This is only necessary is there is an infection. Abdominal infections are easily treated with antibiotics.