Appendicitis

A disease which causes the sufferers appendix to become inflamed

Tim Luo 8 Science1

Symptoms
The appendix is connected to the caecum on the lower right hand side of the body. Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix due to blockage or infection. Appendicitis is regarded as a medical emergency due to the alarmingly high rate of mortality that is associated with the disease. The most common series of symptoms associated with appendicitis are pain in the abdominal region, followed by vomiting and fever. These symptoms are often seen in conjunction with diarrhoea or constipation. Other symptoms include acute pain in the lower right side of the abdomen, pain in the lower back, hamstring or rectum, anorexia and nausea.

Causes of the Disease

The exact causes of appendicitis are still vague, however there are two accepted causes: -Infection: a stomach infection may have found its way to the appendix. -Obstruction: matter gets trapped in the appendix opening. Appendicitis occurs when there is a blockage in the opening into the caecum from the appendix. This blockage can occur when food or faecal matter diverts from its normal digestive track into the appendix. Once obstructed, the appendix naturally produces mucus and adds to the blockage. The bacteria that are normally found in the appendix then cause an infection in the wall of the appendix. If the infection spreads, the build-up of pus will cause the appendix to rupture.

Discovery
The first description of appendicitis was made in 1554 by Fernel, a doctor who operated on a 7-year-old girl with diarrhoea and severe abdominal pain, who died soon after surgery. Until 1736, most cases of appendicitis were only diagnosed at autopsy. -It was in 1736 that Claudius Amyand performed the first recorded successful appendectomy, the surgical removal of the appendix. He realised that the appendix swelled when it was blocked with foreign matter. In 1886, Reginald Fitz of Harvard University described the history of the inflamed appendix and invented the term appendicitis.

Treatment
The most common and effective for of treatment for appendicitis is the surgical removal of the appendix. The procedure is known as appendectomy. Laparoscopic surgery is a more delicate form of surgery, known as minimally invasive surgery (MIS), bandaid surgery, or keyhole surgery. This form of surgery makes use of a tiny video camera which is inserted into the abdomen and the surgeon is then able to leave as few lesions as possible as the appendix is removed through small incisions. The typical hospital stay for an appendectomy is between three and five days. It is apparent that the removal of the appendix does not have any short or long-term effects on the structure or workings of the digestive system. Antibiotics may be administered to patients as an alternative. Studies have shown that 70% of cases may resolve with antibiotic treatment. However, the factors of the failure of antibiotic treatment is are unknown. As such, antibiotic treatment is often only given to patients too frail to undergo surgery.

Diagrams

Blockage of the appendix

Bibliography

www.appendicitisreview.com/history-of-appendicitis/ www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/page s/Appendicits www.medicinenet.com/appendicitis/article.htm

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001302/
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158806/