title: [Appendicitis and appendectomy in Norway 1990-2001].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to examine the incidence of appendicitis and appendectomy in Norway from 1990 to 2001.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were compiled from the Norwegian Patient Registry based on ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes for appendicitis and appendectomy. Re-admissions after appendectomy were selected based on institution and allocation numbers for hospitalisation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age-adjusted incidence rates for appendectomy were 117 per 100 000 for men and 116 per 100 000 for women. Incidence rates were highest among patients aged 10-29. Diagnostic accuracy increased from 81% to 86% in men and from 60% to 71% in women over the study period. Perforation ratio increased from 12% to 21% in men and from 9% to 17% in women. Appendectomy by laparoscopic technique increased during 1998 to 2001 from 5% to 10% of cases for men and from 9% to 15% of cases for women. The proportion of laparoscopic appendectomy was considerably higher in two counties (50% and 28% in 2000-2001). Length of hospital stay was shorter after laparoscopy (median two days) than after open surgery (median three days), with no difference in the rate of re-admission of 4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnostic accuracy and perforation ratio increased over the 1990s. Patients operated upon with laparoscopic technique had shorter hospital stays and the same re-admission rate compared to patients undergoing conventional surgery. Though the proportion of appendectomies done by laparoscopy doubled from 1998 to 2001, the procedure is not in commonly use in Norway.
authors.affiliation: Seksjon for epidemiologisk forskning, SINTEF Unimed, Trondheim. inger.j.bakken@sintef.no
authors.forename: Inger Johanne
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Bakken
authors.forename: Finn Egil
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Skjeldestad
authors.forename: Odd
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mjåland
authors.forename: Egil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous