Acute appendicitis accounted for 60-75% cases of abdominal emergencies. Because the clinical features were various, many patients received lately operation leading the severe complications, even death. A descriptive study on 448 patients with appendicitis in the military hospitals 103 and 175 during 12/1992 - 3/1994 has found that 40.6% of patients were lately hospitalized due to the use of antibiotics and analgesics. Other difficulty was atypical medical conditions. The study suggested that it should strengthen management of the private consultation and treatment and health education and communication.
Appendicitis ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVE: To explore the high risk factors of adult complex appendicitis, and to provide a reference for the development of a reasonable treatment strategy for acute appendicitis. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted to collect clinical data of 312 adult patients with acute appendicitis confirmed by pathology undergoing appendectomy, including open and laparoscopic surgery, from May 2011 to August 2016 at Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. Age <14 years old, pregnant women, complicating abscess around the appendix, AIDS, blood system diseases, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease or progressive cancer patients were excluded. According to the intra-operative findings and pathological types, patients were divided into complex appendicitis(112 cases, including gangrene and perforation) and non-complex appendicitis (200 cases, including simple and non-perforated appendicitis, ie suppurative appendicitis). After comparing the clinical data of these two groups, statistically significant variables were induded for multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors of complex appendicitis, and to establish a regression model. Enter method was applied to establish the regression equation: P=ExpiΣBiXi/1+ExpΣBiXi, and to calculate the relative risk of each variable. Meanwhile, retrospective and prospective verification was performed on this predictive model (cases of acute appendicitis from September 2016 to December 2017 were further collected). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of complex appendicitis were calculated with the regression model. RESULTS: Comparison of the clinical data between the complex appendicitis group and the non-complex appendicitis group showed that differences of 10 preoperative indexes were statistically significant, including period from abdominal pain to admission [(59.1±42.6) hours vs. (47.5±34.4) hours, t=3.051, P=0.002], white blood cell count [(12.9±3.7)×10/L vs. (9.2±4.0)×10/L, t=9.755, P<0.001], neutrophil count [(9.8±4.0)× 10/L vs.(7.1±3.9)×10/L, t=6.020, P<0.001], neutrophil percentage[(84.5±8.7)% vs.(68.2±16.0)%, t=12.754, P<0.001], C-reactive protein levels [(86.0±45.4) μg/L vs. (55.9±35.8) μg/L, t=7.614, P<0.001], serum albumin levels [(334.0±4.8) g/L vs. ( 41.0±4.3) g/L, t=16.055, P<0.001], vomiting ratio [44.6%(50/112) vs. 23.5%(47/200), χ²=14.980, P<0.001], high fever(≥39°C) ratio [16.1%(18/112) vs. 7.5%(15/200), χ²=5.577, P=0.022], the proportion of patients ≥60 years old [22.3%(25/112) vs. 13.0%(26/200), χ²=4.562, P=0.038] and previous history of appendicitis [16.1%(18/112) vs. 7.5%(15/200), χ²=5.577, P=0.022]. The above 10 variables were included in the logistic regression model for multivariate analysis. The results showed that six variables were associated with complex appendicitis. According to their strength, they were old age (≥60 years old) X1(OR=5.094), high fever (≥39°C) X2(OR=4.464), neutrophil count X6 (OR=1.269), neutrophil percentage X4 (OR=1.077), C-reactive protein level X5 (OR=1.027), and serum albumin level X3 (OR=0.763). A predictive regression model was established: P=1/[1+e], whose sensitivity and specificity of judging complex appendicitis were 76.8%(86/112) and 90.0%(180/200),respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for predictive value of complex appendicitis in further prospective validation of the model were 76.2%(48/63) and 81.1% (30/37), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Age ≥ 60 years old, body temperature ≥39°C, increased neutrophil count, neutrophil percentage and C-reactive protein levels, and hypoalbuminemia are risk factors for complex appendicitis. The establishment of predictive model may help determine complex appendicitis.
Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Appendicitis ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Middle Aged ; Models, Statistical ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Clinical manifestations of intestinal yersiniosis include enterocolitis, mesenteric adenitis, and terminal ileitis presenting with fever, right lower quadrant pain, and leukocytosis. According to a previous Korean study in 1997, Yersinia was revealed in two among 15 adult patients with mesenteric adenitis (13%). However, recent reports on the prevalence of Yersinia infection in adult patients are few. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Yersinia infection in adult patients with acute right lower quadrant pain. METHODS: Adult patients (>18 years) who visited Eulji medical center, due to acute right lower quadrant pain were enrolled prospectively from December 2007 to July 2009. Abdominal CT, stool culture, serologic test for Yersinia, and Widal test were performed. RESULTS: Among 115 patients, 5 patients were excluded due to positive Widal test or salmonella culture. In 110 patients, abdominal CT showed right colitis in 20 (18.2%), terminal ileitis in 16 (14.5%), mesenteric adenitis in 13 (11.8%), acute appendicitis in 10 (9.1%), acute diverticulitis in 7 (6.4%), non specific mucosal edema in 36 (32.7%) and no specific lesion in 8 (7.3%). Two (1.8%) of the 110 patients had antibodies to Yersinia. One patient showed acute enteritis and the other patient was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and underwent appendectomy. No Yersinia species were grown on stool or tissue culture. CONCLUSIONS: Nowadays, among adult Korean patients presenting with acute right lower quadrant pain, there have been few incidences of Yersinia infection.
Abdominal Pain/*microbiology ; Acute Disease ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antibodies/blood/immunology ; Appendicitis/epidemiology ; Colitis/epidemiology ; Diverticulitis/epidemiology ; Edema/epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Ileitis/epidemiology ; Lymphadenitis/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Yersinia/*isolation & purification ; Yersinia Infections/*diagnosis/*epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo compare the advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic versus open appendectomy in patients with chronic appendicitis.

METHODSTwo hundred twenty- four patients were divided into laparoscopic group (n=98) and open appendectomy group (n=126) according to individual willing. Prospective non- randomized study was performed to compare the operative time, operative bleeding, hospitalization time, the discovery and management concerned in operation. Abdominal pain in these chronic appendicitis cases was followed up.

RESULTSThe operative time was (54.8+/-21.8) min in open group and (51.8+/-18.0) min in laparoscopic group (t=0.80,P > 0.05). The operative bleeding was (18.6+/-23.3) ml in open group and (9.8+/-4.7) ml in laparoscopic group (t=3.13, P < 0.05). The hospitalization time was (8.9+/-5.3) d in open group and (6.8+/-3.0) d in laparoscopic group (t=2.66,P < 0.05). Twenty- five cases had abdominal adhesion in laparoscopic group, including 9 cases of adhesion around appendix, 6 cases of adhesion between ileocecum and anterior or lateral abdominal wall, 4 cases of adhesion between epiploon and abdominal wall or intestines, 6 cases of adhesion around colon and others. All adhesion had been dissected. Fourteen cases adhesion around appendix had been discovered in 126 cases of open group and dissected (chi(2) =7.95,P < 0.05). In follow- up research, 24 cases still had chronic abdominal pain in 98 case of open group, and 9 cases had chronic abdominal pain in 87 of laparoscopic group, the difference was significant (chi(2)=6.29,P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe laparoscopic appendectomy possesses more advantages in treating chronic appendicitis and can decrease the incidence of chronic abdominal pain after operation.

Abdominal Pain ; etiology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Appendectomy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Appendicitis ; surgery ; Child ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Laparoscopy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications ; epidemiology ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult