title: Acute appendicitis during pregnancy.
abstract: From this study, we note: (1) misdiagnosis of appendicitis in pregnancy is comparable to that of the general female population; (2) with a maternal mortality of zero per cent, the operation is safe even when complicated by perforation; (3) fetal mortality is minimal; (4) clinical judgement rather than laboratory data must be relied on for diagnosis; and (5) the pregnant patient presenting with abdominal pain should be assessed and treated as one would any patient with the same complaint. The general use of this principle may explain the marked improvement in maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity in recent years.
mesh_terms: D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D007962:Leukocytes; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery