Non-operative management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis in children: where is the evidence?

Appendicitis is the most common emergency condition in children, with a lifetime incidence of 7% to 8%. Appendicectomy has been the mainstay of treatment of acute appendicitis in both adults and children for over 100 years, with the laparoscopic approach being favoured in recent times. However, in addition to the need for general anaesthetia, there are potential risks and complications associated with the procedure. Moreover, in children, surgical procedures are associated frequently with both physiological and psychological stress for the patient and their parents, as well as having an economic impact. The management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis, in both adults and children, is currently in a state of significant flux. Evidence from a number of randomised controlled trials and case-controlled series have been combined in systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and in the adult literature the role of primary antibiotic therapy for the management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis is becoming...

from Archives of Disease in Childhood current issue http://ift.tt/2zUKShq