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Appendicitis is a condition in which the appendix becomes inflamed, swollen, or infected, causing pain in the lower right side of your torso. People with appendicitis will need surgery to...
If you have appendicitis, you'll likely be hospitalized and referred to a surgeon to remove your appendix. What you can do When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as fasting before having a specific test.
Chronic appendicitis may go unrecognized because the symptoms don’t escalate the way they do in acute appendicitis. But any type of appendicitis is serious. If you have chronic abdominal pain and you don’t know what causes it, it’s important to see a healthcare provider about it.
You can’t diagnose yourself with appendicitis, but you can compare your symptoms to some of the key features of an inflamed appendix and see if they align.
Although anyone can develop appendicitis, most often it happens in people between the ages of 10 and 30. Treatment of appendicitis is usually antibiotics and, in most instances, surgery to remove the appendix.
It is the most common nonobstetric surgical emergency during pregnancy. Findings from the history, physical examination, and laboratory studies aid in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Doctors diagnose appendicitis using symptoms, medical history, physical exam, and blood and urine tests. Imaging tests can confirm the diagnosis.
The purpose of an appendicitis test is to help diagnose appendicitis. Tests include multiple exams, such as a physical exam, lab tests, a CT scan or ultrasound.
If the diagnosis of appendicitis is not clear, doctors usually do an imaging test such as computed tomography (CT) or ultrasonography. Ultrasonography is particularly useful in children, in whom it is important to limit radiation exposure to reduce the risk of future cancers.
Acute appendicitis typically presents as acute abdominal pain starting in the mid-abdomen and later localizing to the right lower quadrant. Associated with fever, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and elevation of the neutrophil count. Diagnosis is usually made clinically.