title: Acute appendicitis in pregnancy.
abstract: Acute appendicitis is the commonest nongynaecological surgical problem occurring during pregnancy. Almost 10 year's experience at a large teaching hospital is supplemented with an extensive review of the literature to offer guidelines for diagnosis and management. Symptoms, signs and investigations are unhelpful in diagnosis. The overwhelming message is that because perinatal mortality rises from less than 3% in both uncomplicated appendicitis and negative laparotomy, to 20% in perforated disease, the maxim regarding acute appendicitis--if in doubt, take it out--is never more true than in pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: McGee
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000209:etiology; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy