Appendicitis medical therapy
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
In combination with surgery, antibiotics are given intravenously to help kill bacteria and thus reduce the spread of infection in the abdomen and postoperative complications in the abdomen or wound.
Appendicitis Medical Therapy
Acute appendicitis is primary treated with surgery, either without rupture or with perforation and secondary peritonitis. Pre-operative antibiotics used in acute appendicitis include cefuroxime and metronidazole. Equivocal cases may become more difficult to assess with antibiotic treatment and benefit from serial examinations.[1]
Nonsurgical treatment may be used if:[2]
- Surgery is not available
- If a person is not well enough to undergo surgery
- If the diagnosis is unclear
The duration of post-operative treatment with intravenous antibiotics ranges from 5 to 10 days, until fever resolves, white blood cell count normalizes, and bowel function returns.
Some research suggests that appendicitis can get better without surgery. Nonsurgical treatment includes antibiotics to treat infection and a liquid or soft diet until the infection subsides. A soft diet is low in fiber and easily breaks down in the gastrointestinal tract.[3][4]
Timing of Antibiotic Therapy
Once the patient is diagnosed with appendicitis, antibiotics should be started immediately
References
- ↑ Mandell, Gerald L.; Bennett, John E. (John Eugene); Dolin, Raphael. (2010). Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's principles and practice of infectious disease. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-443-06839-3.
- ↑ Mandell, Gerald L.; Bennett, John E. (John Eugene); Dolin, Raphael. (2010). Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's principles and practice of infectious disease. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. ISBN 978-0-443-06839-3.
- ↑ Kirshenbaum M, Mishra V, Kuo D, Kaplan G (2003). "Resolving appendicitis: role of CT". Abdom Imaging. 28 (2): 276–9. doi:10.1007/s00261-002-0025-3. PMID 12592478.
- ↑ Cobben LP, de Van Otterloo AM, Puylaert JB (2000). "Spontaneously resolving appendicitis: frequency and natural history in 60 patients". Radiology. 215 (2): 349–52. doi:10.1148/radiology.215.2.r00ma08349. PMID 10796906.