title: CAUSES OF DELAYED PRESENTATION OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS AND ITS IMPACT ON MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute appendicitis is one of the commonest abdominal emergencies and appendectomy. is one of the commonest emergency procedures performed all over the world. The study was done with an objective to evaluate the different causative factors for delayed presentation of appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was carried out in the Surgical "C" unit, at Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad, Pakistan from 20th June 2013 to 19th June 2014. A total of 130 patients presented with appendicitis in OPDs or emergency department. Detailed history, general physical and systemic examination especially abdominal examination was done along with investigations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that 23.08% of complicated appendicitis presentation is due to missed diagnosis by physicians, 30.77% is due to missed diagnosis by non-doctors, 23.08% is due to conservative management at DHQ hospitals by surgeons, and 23.08% presented late because of self-medication at home.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All patients with pain Right iliac fossa, there should be suspected of appendicitis. Proper workup should be done to exclude it. If kept on conservative management then regular monitoring of vitals with laboratory investigations should be done.
authors.forename: Shawana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Asad
authors.forename: Ashfaq
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Sajjad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Sher
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Sohail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Salma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghaffar
authors.forename: Irfan Ud Din
authors.initials: IU
authors.lastname: Khattak
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult