Non-Operative Antibiotic Treatment of Appendicitis

A review of the literature

The lecture duration is 29min.

0.5 CPD Points, 0.5 CEUs, 0.5 CME credits approval pending.
Accredited by CPDUK, CBRN and Provider Pending.

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David Talan
Emeritus Professor of Emergency Medicine and Medicine/Infectious Diseases, The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Los Angeles, California, USA
Lecture Summary

Acute appendicitis is the most common reason for emergency abdominal surgery. Untreated appendicitis, when associated with rupture, can lead to abscess, peritonitis, sepsis, and death. Uncomplicated appendicitis (i.e., localized appendicitis), which has traditionally been treated with urgent appendectomy, accounts for approximately 80% of cases. In the past three decades, numerous trials of nonoperative treatment in patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis have been conducted, and the use of antibiotic agents as a first strategy has become acknowledged as a safe option, including with emergency department care and then discharge with outpatient management. In this lecture, I review the expected outcomes associated with initial operative and nonoperative treatment of acute uncomplicated appendicitis and offer guidance on counseling patients to help them chose between the two approaches.

Target Audience

Emergency Medicine Doctors
Emergency Medicine Nurses
Paramedics
Rural GP's

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to:

  • Appreciate the history of appendicitis management
  • Discuss the evidence on non-operative management of appendicitis
  • Describe how to non-operatively manage appendicitis