Appendicitis history and symptoms
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Appendicitis Microchapters |
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Appendicitis On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Appendicitis |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Patients with appendicitis commonly present with pain near the navel that eventually localizes to the right iliac fossa, loss of appetite, fever, nausea, and vomiting.
History
Asking specific questions about symptoms and health history will help rule out other conditions. The onset, location, severity of pain and knowing when other symptoms appeared relative to the pain is helpful. Questions about other medical conditions, previous illnesses and surgeries, and use of medications, alcohol, or illegal drugs are also included.
Symptoms
Common symptoms resulting from appendicitis include:[1]
- Abdominal/stomach pain that usually starts in the nave and moves to the lower right side of the abdomen.
- It starts centrally (in the periumbilical region) before localizing to the right iliac fossa (the lower right side of the abdomen). This is due to the poor localizing (spatial) property of visceral nerves from the mid-gut, followed by the involvement of somatic nerves (parietal peritoneum) as the inflammation progresses.
- Loss of appetite
- Low fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Inability to pass gas
References
- ↑ "www.facs.org". Retrieved November 16, 2015.