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World Journal of Surgery Mar 2022With the global prevalence of liver cirrhosis rising, this systematic review aimed to define the perioperative risk of mortality in these patients following... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
With the global prevalence of liver cirrhosis rising, this systematic review aimed to define the perioperative risk of mortality in these patients following appendicectomy.
METHODS
Systematic searches of Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library databases, ICTRP, and Clinical trials.gov were undertaken to identify studies including patients with cirrhosis undergoing appendicectomy, published since database inception to March 2021. Studies had to report mortality. Two review authors independently identified eligible studies and extracted data. Pooled analysis of in-patient and 30-day mortality was performed.
RESULTS
Of the 948 studies identified, four were included and this comprised three nationwide database studies (USA and Denmark) and one multi-centre observational study (Japan). A total of 923 patients had cirrhosis and 167,211 patients did not. In-patient mortality ranged from 0 to 1.7% in patients with cirrhosis and 0.17 to 0.3% in patients without. 30-day mortality was 9% in patients with cirrhosis compared to 0.3% in those without. One study stratified cirrhotic patients into compensated and decompensated groups. In patients with compensated cirrhosis, mortality following laparoscopic appendicectomy (0.5%) was significantly lower than open appendicectomy (3.2%). The meta-analysis highlighted a tenfold increase in perioperative mortality in cirrhotic patients (OR 9.92 (95% CI 4.67 to 21.06, I2 = 28%). All studies reported an increased length of stay in patients with cirrhosis.
CONCLUSION
This review suggests that appendicectomy in the cirrhotic population is associated with increased mortality. LA may be safer in this population. Lack of information on cirrhosis severity and failure to control for age and co-morbidities make the results difficult to interpret. Further large population-based studies are required.
Topics: Appendectomy; Humans; Japan; Liver Cirrhosis; Observational Studies as Topic
PubMed: 34988603
DOI: 10.1007/s00268-021-06373-0 -
Cureus Jan 2024The opioid epidemic has become a critical public health issue, driven by the widespread distribution and misuse of prescription opioids. This paper investigates... (Review)
Review
The opioid epidemic has become a critical public health issue, driven by the widespread distribution and misuse of prescription opioids. This paper investigates analgesic management in the context of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) as an alternative to open appendectomy, aiming to reduce the reliance on opioids for postoperative pain control. A comprehensive literature review was conducted from January 1, 2003, to November 1, 2023, utilizing PubMed, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect databases. The search focused on peer-reviewed experimental and observational studies involving adults (18 years and older) undergoing LA. The original search resulted in 18,258 publications, which were then screened using PRISMA guidelines. Among the filtered 18 studies included for analysis and review, the transition from open to LA demonstrated a consistent decrease in postoperative pain, leading to a reduced need for opioid prescriptions. Analgesic strategies included the use of local anesthetics (lidocaine, bupivacaine, ropivacaine), spinal/epidural anesthesia, nerve blocks, and a multimodal approach with NSAIDs and acetaminophen. Studies demonstrated the efficacy of local anesthetics in reducing postoperative pain, prompting a shift toward non-opioid analgesics. The use of spinal/epidural anesthesia and nerve blocks further supported the trend of minimizing opioid prescriptions. While some variations in anesthetic approaches existed, overall, patients undergoing LA required fewer opioid doses, reflecting a positive shift in postoperative pain management. Patients undergoing LA experienced lower rates of readmission, reduced post-operative pain, better cosmetic outcomes, and shorter recovery times, contributing to a diminished demand for opioid medications. This review underscores the potential for non-opioid analgesic strategies in surgical contexts, aligning with the broader imperative to address the opioid epidemic and promote safer and more sustainable pain management practices.
PubMed: 38344561
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52037 -
World Journal of Surgery Aug 2023Reports of an increased proportion of complicated appendicitis during the Covid-19 pandemic suggest a worse outcome due to delay secondary to the restrained access to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Spontaneous Resolution of Uncomplicated Appendicitis may Explain Increase in Proportion of Complicated Appendicitis During Covid-19 Pandemic: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
Reports of an increased proportion of complicated appendicitis during the Covid-19 pandemic suggest a worse outcome due to delay secondary to the restrained access to health care, but may be explained by a concomitant decrease in uncomplicated appendicitis. We analyze the impact of the pandemic on the incidences of complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis.
METHOD
We did a systematic literature search in the PubMed, Embase and Web Of Science databases on December 21, 2022 with the search terms (appendicitis OR appendectomy) AND ("COVID" OR SARS-Cov2 OR "coronavirus"). Studies reporting the number of complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis during identical calendar periods in 2020 and the pre-pandemic year(s) were included. Reports with indications suggesting a change in how the patients were diagnosed and managed between the two periods were excluded. No protocol was prepared in advance. We did random effects meta-analysis of the change in proportion of complicated appendicitis, expressed as the risk ratio (RR), and of the change in number of patients with complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis during the pandemic compared with pre-pandemic periods, expressed as the incidence ratio (IR). We did separate analyses for studies based on single- and multi-center and regional data, age-categories and prehospital delay.
RESULTS
The meta-analysis of 100,059 patients in 63 reports from 25 countries shows an increase in the proportion of complicated appendicitis during the pandemic period (RR 1.39, 95% confidence interval (95% CI 1.25, 1.53). This was mainly explained by a decreased incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis (incidence ratio (IR) 0.66, 95% CI 0.59, 0.73). No increase in complicated appendicitis was seen in multi-center and regional reports combined (IR 0.98, 95% CI 0.90, 1.07).
CONCLUSION
The increased proportion of complicated appendicitis during Covid-19 is explained by a decrease in the incidence of uncomplicated appendicitis, whereas the incidence of complicated appendicitis remained stable. This result is more evident in the multi-center and regional based reports. This suggests an increase in spontaneously resolving appendicitis due to the restrained access to health care. This has important principal implications for the management of patients with suspected appendicitis.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Pandemics; Appendicitis; RNA, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Appendectomy; Retrospective Studies; Acute Disease
PubMed: 37140609
DOI: 10.1007/s00268-023-07027-z -
Cureus Jan 2024Recent studies have discussed the role of antibiotic treatment in the conservative management of acute appendicitis and whether antibiotics are a safe option to replace... (Review)
Review
Recent studies have discussed the role of antibiotic treatment in the conservative management of acute appendicitis and whether antibiotics are a safe option to replace appendicectomy, which has been the gold standard treatment of acute appendicitis for many years. The bibliographic databases Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, Embase, Medline, and PubMed comparing conservative versus surgical treatment of acute appendicitis were systematically searched according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Twenty-one studies consisting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses involving 44,699 participants were identified. At least 17,865 participants were treated with antibiotics. Our studies compare antibiotic versus appendicectomy among acute appendicitis patients ranging from 7 to 94 years of age. In most studies, patients received parenteral antibiotics for a total of one to three days, and oral antibiotics such as oral cephalosporin plus metronidazole, oral amoxicillin/clavulanate, oral fluoroquinolones plus Tinidazole upon hospital discharge for a total of 7 to 10 days. The total course of antibiotics for both parenteral and oral regimes ranged from 2 to 16 days, with 10 days being the commonest duration. The recurrence rate following initial antibiotic treatment at one-year follow-up ranged from 13% to 38%, while the mean duration of recurrence ranged from three to eight months. The majority of the patients with recurrence underwent appendicectomy, while some patients were either given a repeat or different course of antibiotics due to the possible presence of antibiotic resistance; however, only 2.4% of the patients were successfully treated upon completion of the second course of antibiotics. Most of the studies concluded that appendicectomy remains the gold standard treatment for uncomplicated acute appendicitis, given its higher efficacy and lower complication rates. Although antibiotic treatment cannot be routinely recommended, it can be considered an appropriate alternative in selected patients with uncomplicated appendicitis who wish to avoid surgery and also acknowledge the risk of recurrence and the potential need for subsequent surgery at the same time.
PubMed: 38384640
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.52697 -
Surgical Endoscopy Dec 2020Appendiceal mass and abscess and its treatment are associated with significant morbidity and high costs. Still, the optimal treatment strategy is the point of debate.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Appendiceal mass and abscess and its treatment are associated with significant morbidity and high costs. Still, the optimal treatment strategy is the point of debate. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare overall complications between initial non-operative treatment (NOT) and early appendectomy (EA) in children with appendiceal mass and/or abscess.
METHODS
Pubmed and Embase were searched. Only randomized controlled trials and prospective or historical cohort studies that compared NOT with EA in children with appendiceal mass or abscess in terms of complications were eligible for inclusion. Risk of bias was assessed. Primary outcome was the overall complication rate. Secondary, length of stay and readmission rate were investigated. A meta-analysis of overall complications associated with both treatment strategies was performed.
RESULTS
14 of 7083 screened studies were selected, including 1022 children in the NOT group and 333 in the EA group. Duration of follow-up ranged between four weeks and 12 years. Risk of bias was moderate in four and serious in 10 studies. NOT was associated with a lower overall complication rate (risk ratio (RR) 0.37 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.65]). However, NOT led to increased length of stay (mean difference varied between 0.2 and 8.4 days) and higher readmission rate (RR 1.75 [95%CI 0.79-3.89]), although not significantly. Interval appendectomy after NOT was performed as a routine procedure in all but one study. This study found a recurrence rate of 34% in a group of 38 patients during a follow-up period of 3.4 ± 1.7 years.
CONCLUSION
NOT may reduce the overall complication rate compared to EA, but the evidence is very uncertain. As evidence is scarce, and of low level, and heterogeneity between studies is substantial, the results should be interpreted with caution. Large prospective studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment strategy for children with appendiceal mass and/or abscess.
Topics: Abscess; Adolescent; Appendectomy; Appendicitis; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Prospective Studies; Risk
PubMed: 32710216
DOI: 10.1007/s00464-020-07822-y -
Cureus Jun 2023Adults can accidentally swallow foreign bodies (FBs) with food. In rare occasions, these can lodge in the appendix lumen causing inflammation. This is known as foreign... (Review)
Review
Adults can accidentally swallow foreign bodies (FBs) with food. In rare occasions, these can lodge in the appendix lumen causing inflammation. This is known as foreign body appendicitis. We conducted this study to review different types and management of appendiceal FBs. A comprehensive search on PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar was performed to detect appropriate case reports for this review. Case reports eligible for this review included patients above 18 years of age with all types of FB ingestion causing appendicitis. A total of 64 case reports were deemed to be eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. The patient mean age was 44.3 ± 16.7 years (range, 18-77). Twenty-four foreign bodies were identified in the adult appendix. They were mainly lead shot pellet, fishbone, dental crown or filling, toothpick, and others. Forty-two percent of the included patients presented with classic appendicitis pain, while 17% were asymptomatic. Moreover, the appendix was perforated in 11 patients. Regarding modalities used for diagnosis, computed tomography (CT) scans confirmed the presence of FBs in 59% of cases while X-ray only managed to detect 30%. Almost all of the cases (91%) were treated surgically with appendicectomy and only six were managed conservatively. Overall, lead shot pellets were the most common foreign body found. Fishbone and toothpick accounted for most of the perforated appendix cases. This study concludes that prophylactic appendicectomy is recommended for the management of foreign bodies detected in the appendix, even if the patient is asymptomatic.
PubMed: 37425596
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40133 -
Surgical Endoscopy Jun 2024When pregnant patients present with nonobstetric pathology, the physicians caring for them may be uncertain about the optimal management strategy. The aim of this...
BACKGROUND
When pregnant patients present with nonobstetric pathology, the physicians caring for them may be uncertain about the optimal management strategy. The aim of this guideline is to develop evidence-based recommendations for pregnant patients presenting with common surgical pathologies including appendicitis, biliary disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
METHODS
The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Guidelines Committee convened a working group to address these issues. The group generated five key questions and completed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. An expert panel then met to form evidence-based recommendations according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. Expert opinion was utilized when the available evidence was deemed insufficient.
RESULTS
The expert panel agreed on ten recommendations addressing the management of appendicitis, biliary disease, and IBD during pregnancy.
CONCLUSIONS
Conditional recommendations were made in favor of appendectomy over nonoperative treatment of appendicitis, laparoscopic appendectomy over open appendectomy, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy over nonoperative treatment of biliary disease and acute cholecystitis specifically. Based on expert opinion, the panel also suggested either operative or nonoperative treatment of biliary diseases other than acute cholecystitis in the third trimester, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography rather than common bile duct exploration for symptomatic choledocholithiasis, applying the same criteria for emergent surgical intervention in pregnant and non-pregnant IBD patients, utilizing an open rather than minimally invasive approach for pregnant patients requiring emergent surgical treatment of IBD, and managing pregnant patients with active IBD flares in a multidisciplinary fashion at centers with IBD expertise.
Topics: Humans; Pregnancy; Female; Pregnancy Complications; Laparoscopy; Appendicitis; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Appendectomy; Biliary Tract Diseases
PubMed: 38700549
DOI: 10.1007/s00464-024-10810-1 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jul 2023Today, the prevalence of obesity in the pediatric population has increased dramatically. Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common surgical condition among pediatric... (Review)
Review
Today, the prevalence of obesity in the pediatric population has increased dramatically. Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common surgical condition among pediatric patients. We aimed to investigate the impact of obesity on postoperative outcomes in terms of operative time (OT), length of stay (LOS), surgical site infection (SSI), overall complications, adverse events, and mortality in children undergoing appendectomy for acute appendicitis. An extensive search of the literature in PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted to evaluate the outcomes of normal weight (NW), overweight (OW), and obese (OB) children who underwent appendectomy. Although no statistically significant differences were noted in perioperative outcomes and overall postoperative complications between OW/OB and NW children in the majority of the included studies, prolonged OT and LOS and SSI were found in some studies. Moreover, no differences in terms of readmissions and ED visits were recorded. We conclude that the impact of obesity on postoperative outcomes for children undergoing appendectomy for AA is unclear, and, therefore, no safe conclusions can be drawn with the currently available data. Due to the lack of high-quality studies, further research is required to optimize the surgical approach and prevent unwarranted complications.
PubMed: 37510927
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12144811 -
Colorectal Disease : the Official... Oct 2021Caecal diverticulitis (CD) is an uncommon condition which can be misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis due to similar clinical presentations. Further, its management varies... (Review)
Review
AIM
Caecal diverticulitis (CD) is an uncommon condition which can be misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis due to similar clinical presentations. Further, its management varies among medical centres. The aim of this study was to review cases of patients with CD, to identify the factors differentiating CD from acute appendicitis and to provide a summary of existing diagnostic methods and therapeutic alternatives regarding its management.
METHODS
This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and the AMSTAR2 checklist. We searched MEDLINE and Embase from inception until 1 October 2018 for original publications reporting cases of CD.
RESULTS
Out of the 560 identified studies, 146 publications (988 patients) were included in the qualitative synthesis. Most frequent symptoms of CD were right iliac fossa pain (93.2%), nausea and/or vomiting (35.4%) and fever (26.9%). A total of 443 patients (44.8%) underwent radiological imaging, which reported CD in 225 patients (22.8%). For the other patients, the diagnosis was obtained by surgical exploration (73.9%). Among patients diagnosed with CD by imaging, 67 (29.8%) underwent surgery and 158 (70.2%) were treated conservatively. Among patients who underwent surgical exploration, treatment consisted most frequently of right hemi-colectomy (33%), appendectomy (18.8%) and diverticulectomy with appendectomy (16.3%).
CONCLUSION
CD can be misdiagnosed as acute appendicitis, therefore resulting in unnecessary surgical exploration. The review of the literature starting from 1930 highlights the critical role of medical imaging in supporting the clinician to diagnose this condition and administer adequate treatment.
Topics: Appendectomy; Appendicitis; Cecal Diseases; Diagnosis, Differential; Diagnostic Errors; Diverticulitis; Humans
PubMed: 34272795
DOI: 10.1111/codi.15818 -
International Journal of Surgery... Nov 2021During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 a decrease of emergency consultations and modification in treatment of numerous medical conditions were observed. Aim of this paper... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 a decrease of emergency consultations and modification in treatment of numerous medical conditions were observed. Aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on incidence, treatment strategies, severity, length of hospital stay and time of presentation in adults and children with acute appendicitis.
METHODS
A systematic literature search of Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane databases was performed, and eligible studies used to perform a meta-analysis.
RESULTS
46 suitable studies were identified with an overall reduction of appendicitis cases by 20.9% in adults and an increase of 13.4% in children. The rate of open appendectomies increased without statistical significance in both groups (adults: 8.5% vs. 7.1%, P = 0.32; children: 7.1% vs. 5.3%, P = 0.13), whereas the rate of antibiotic treatment increased significantly (P = 0.007; P = 0.03). Higher rates of complicated appendicitis were observed in adults (adults: OR 2.00, P < 0.0001; children: OR 1.64, P = 0.12). Time to first consultation did not change significantly (adults: 52.3 vs. 38.5 h - P = 0.057; children: 51.5 vs. 32.0 h - P = 0.062) and length of stay was also not lengthened during the pandemic (adults: 2.9 vs. 2.7 days, P = 0.057; children: 4.2 vs. 3.7 days, P = 0.062).
CONCLUSION
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 had major impact on incidence and treatment strategies of acute appendicitis. Results of this meta-analysis might be another hint to support the theory that appendicitis is not a progressive disease and surgeons can safely consider antibiotic therapy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis.
Topics: Adult; Appendectomy; Appendicitis; COVID-19; Child; Humans; Length of Stay; Pandemics; Retrospective Studies; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 34700020
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsu.2021.106148