A new study showed that appendicitis, especially among children, doesn't have to immediately result to surgery. Rather, potent antibiotics can be just as effective.
Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, a small pouch that extends from the large intestine. Although it's unclear what causes the swelling or inflammation in the first place, it's believed something has blocked the entry. Once the swollen appendix has reached its threshold, it can burst that would lead to perforation and spread of bacteria.
This medical condition, which can begin as an abdominal pain that travels toward the bottom right-hand side of the body, where the appendix is located, is normally considered as a medical emergency, and the common treatment is open surgery called appendectomy, or the removal of the appendix.
Based on the new study published in JAMA, antibiotics can be an alternative in treating simple appendicitis among children. The researchers worked with at least 100 children and teens between the ages of 7 and 17 who were diagnosed and treated with appendicitis within a period of five months from October 2012. These participants had simple appendicitis, in which case their condition is not complicated or severe. The group was then divided into with close to 40 parents opting for 24-hour IV antibiotics and oral antibiotics taken for a period of 10 days. The rest of the children underwent appendectomy.
The results suggested that those who had taken antibiotics continued to remain fine even after a year after appendicitis. They also recovered at least 13 days earlier than those who had surgery. Further, families who chose antibiotics for the children spent almost a thousand dollars lower than the other group.
The researchers, however, wanted to stress that the results didn't mean antibiotics are superior than surgery as not everyone can also be considered for antibiotics treatment. Only a surgeon will be able to help the patient choose the better course of action for appendicitis.
