Appendicitis

Did you know that you can live without your appendix?

1) How do doctors make money on the side?
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The appendix is located on the right side of the body.

2) What kind of plants grow in the hospital?
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3) What do you say to a sick shepherd?
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4) What's the most dangerous part of a needle?
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Have you read the book or seen the movie called Madeline? The author is Ludwig Bemelmans. Well, Madeline, a little orphan girl, had an appendicitis attack and had to be rushed to the hospital. What is an appendicitis? An appendicitis is an irritation of the appendix. The appendix is a small worm-like pouch attached to the large bowel. Appendicitis can occur at any age, but it usually happens to people who are from 8 – 23 years old. It rarely happens to kids that are under two years old. For people who are young, having an appendicitis attack is probably the most ordinary cause of stomach pain that requires emergency surgery.

stomachache In nearly all cases of appendicitis, the precise reason for the irritation isn’t known, but sometimes it’s caused by small pieces of hardened poop (feces) that get stuck inside the appendix.

The symptoms can be incredibly changeable but commonly take the following typical pattern. The first sign is usually a pain or discomfort near the bellybutton. This pain comes and goes in waves, and usually, people think it’s just an upset stomach. After a few hours, the pain will be more noticeable and continuous in the lower right part of the stomach. The pain is increased by movement or coughing. The person will often lose their appetite, feel sick, and throw up. The temperature is raised slightly and the face is rosy. They might have halitosis (bad breath).

If the doctor thinks you have appendicitis, he will probably take a medical history from you and then check your temperature. Blood and urine (pee) tests will be performed to look for infection. The doctor examines you by pressing on the lower right part of the tummy, and sometimes inserting a finger in the anus (butt) in order to rule out other causes of pain. Women are usually given an examination of the vagina. There isn’t a test that will determine whether you have an appendicitis that’s 100% sure. Surgery is performed according to the results on the doctor’s tests. Lots of diseases can cause the same symptoms as appendicitis. That is why surgeons find a regular appendix in 3 out of 10 operations.

Appendicitis is treated by:

Having a surgical removal of the appendix. It’s the most common procedure. A 3 – 6 cm horizontal cut is made in the lower, right hand side of the abdomen. The surgeons take the appendix out through that hole. When they carry out the surgery, they use anesthesia (a medicine that makes you fall asleep so that you don’t see the procedure, or feel it).
Having a keyhole operation. That is when they insert a three-fiber optic camera (the camera is kind of like watching a TV show that helps doctors take something out or put something into a body. The surgeon can see what they’re doing with the help of it.) through the belly. This technique does not seem to have any improvements over normal surgery.

In cases that aren’t complicated, a 2 – 3 day hospital stay is common. The patient may go home as soon as their temperature is back to normal, and their bowel starts to work again. The stitches may be removed 10 days after the operation. A return to normal daily life within 4 – 6 weeks is typical.

About 0.2 (one fifth) of the patients who experience surgery turn out to have a ruptured (split open) appendix. This causes irritation of the peritoneum (the covering around the inside organs). Nowadays, this condition can be treated with antibiotics that makes it less dangerous than it used to be, but there is still a risk of sore formation in the stomach cavity (a hollow space in the stomach), which will require draining. Pieces of tissue that stick together after the operation, also known as scar tissue, might develop and block or get in the way of the bowel. This happens in a small number of all patients who have their appendix removed in a surgery. The condition commonly occurs within three months of the operation. A bowel barrier might require emergency surgery.

Citations

Web Sites

The Nemours Foundation. "KidsHealth for Kids" 1995-2004. <http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/> (January-February, 2004).

Diggory, Dr. Robert, Klenerman, Dr. Paul “Appendicitis.” http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/dieases/facts/appendicitis.htm (December, 2003).

Images

Image of stomachache from "Microsoft Office Online" <http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?cag=1> Images free for non-profit and personal use. (October-February, 2003-2004).

Book

Bernstein, Joanne E. and Paul Cohen. Dizzy Doctor Riddles. Niles, Illinois: Albert Whitman & Company. 1989.

Joke Answers

1) By taking out appendixes. Return

2) I.V. Return

3) Get wool soon. Return

4) The end! Return