title: Appendicitis over forty.
abstract: Charts of 616 patients over the age of 40 presenting to a community hospital emergency department with lower abdominal pain were reviewed to estimate the incidence and establish the profile of appendicitis in older patients. Appendicitis remains the commonest cause of undiagnosed lower abdominal pain, and retains a common presentation at all ages. Much of the pre-operative delay in patients who perforated appendices occurred in the hospital. Barium enema was a useful and safe diagnostic procedure used in 22 cases.
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000367:Age Factors; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D001466:Barium Sulfate; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004219:District of Columbia; D004733:Enema; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D001466:Barium Sulfate