title: The utility of peritoneal drains in patients with perforated appendicitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intra-abdominal abscesses are the most common complication after perforated appendicitis and remain a significant problem ranging in incidence from 14 to 18%. Drainage following appendectomy is usually determined by whether the underlying appendicitis is simple or complicated and largely determined by the surgeons' belief, based on expertise or personal opinion. In this report we discuss the results of patients diagnosed with peritoneal drainage, treated with or without a peritoneal drain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of patients diagnosed with perforated appendicitis having surgery was performed. Patients diagnosed with perforated appendicitis treated with a peritoneal drain and patients treated without a peritoneal drain. Both groups were evaluated in terms of complications: intra-abdominal abscess, re-intervention, readmission and duration of hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  199 patients diagnosed with perforated appendicitis underwent appendectomy. 120 patients were treated without a peritoneal drain and 79 patients with a peritoneal drain. Thirty-one (26%) patients from the group without a peritoneal drain had a re-intervention compared to 9 (11%) in the group with a peritoneal drain (p = 0.013). Overall complications and readmission were also significantly lower in patients treated with a peritoneal drain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A peritoneal drain seems to reduce overall complication rate, re-intervention rate and readmission rate in patients treated with perforated appendicitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Molengracht 21, 4818 CK Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Martinus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Beek
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Molengracht 21, 4818 CK Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tim S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Molengracht 21, 4818 CK Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jelle W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Raats
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric L L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Twiss
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Molengracht 21, 4818 CK Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gobardhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Amphia Hospital, Molengracht 21, 4818 CK Breda, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eric J H
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: van Rhede van der Kloot
keywords: Complications; Perforated appendicitis; Peritoneal drain; Peritoneal drainage