title: Nonoperative management of appendicitis in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this review is to summarize the recent literature investigating nonoperative management of uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis and highlight recent data establishing its safety and efficacy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent studies and clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy of nonoperative treatment of both uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis, defined as perforated appendicitis with or without formed abscess or phlegmon. Nonoperative management of uncomplicated appendicitis has been reported to be effective in approximately 71-94% of cases. In complicated appendicitis, treatment with antibiotics alone or antibiotics with interval appendectomy has been shown to be a well tolerated and reasonable treatment alternative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Appendicitis is one of the most common surgical diagnoses in children. The standard of care for many years has been surgical appendectomy; however, it carries with it risks including bleeding, wound complications, injury to surrounding structures, and the potential need for reoperation. Nonoperative management of both uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis in children is well tolerated and efficacious in select populations.
authors.affiliation: aCenter for Surgical Outcomes Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio bDepartment of Surgery, New York Medical College-Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, New York cDepartment of Pediatric Surgery, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Katherine J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Deans
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Minneci
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents