title: [Acute appendicitis: clinico-diagnostic and therapeutic considerations].
abstract: Since january 1970-december 1982, 58 patients underwent emergently appendectomy for acute appendicitis. 31 (53,4 percent) where males; the average age was 21 +/- 2,3 years (M +/- SEM). The duration of symptoms ranged from 1-6 hours (10,3 percent of cases) to over 48 hours, before the hospital admission (15,4 percent of cases). 27 patients (46,5 percent) had a clinical examination at home by a physician. 21 patients (36,4 percent) came to hospital emergency unit without previous physical examination; 10 (17,2 percent) were transferred from other departments. In 6,9 percent of cases was present a perforated appendicitis with peritonitis. During operation, in 50 percent of patients was performed a therapeutic peritoneal lavage. In 63,7 percent of cases multiple drains were placed in peritoneal cavity. In all patients was effected postoperative antibiotic profilaxis. The mortality rate was 3,4 percent. General complications were observed more in patients with perforated appendicitis. This review suggests the following remarcable data: morbidity of this disease is still high; the physical examination is more important than laboratory work (especially in the elderly patients, which are often immunodepressed and in children, with leucocitosis-lack at hospital admission); early surgery is the most important factor to the improvement of prognosis in these cases and the results of surgical treatment are improved by large vertical incisions, peritoneal lavage and application of multiple intracavitary drains.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis
vernacular_title: Appendicite acuta: considerazioni clinico-diagnostiche e terapeutiche.