title: Appendicitis. Improvements in diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: The results of therapy in cases of suspected acute appendicitis were reviewed in 844 consecutive cases of appendicitis occurring over a 3-year period. A diagnostic accuracy of 87.4 per cent was found as well as a perforation rate of 18.4 per cent. Complication rates varied with the clinical state of the appendix: 16 per cent in perforated, 5.6 per cent in nonperforated, and 11.3 per cent in normal appendices. Excellent results were routinely obtainable employing early operative intervention, perioperative antibiotics, and a systematic surgical approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Naval Hospital, San Diego, California 92134-5000.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Maxwell
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ragland
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000038:Abscess / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D015996:Survival Rate