However, a study has found that more than half of cases of appendicitis in children can be treated effectively with antibiotics, without the need for an appendectomy.
The study team enrolled 1,068 patients from 10 health centers, and found that 67% of those who were initially treated with antibiotics alone recovered fully and did not require an appendectomy by their one-year follow-up. Patients that did not receive antibiotics had an average of 6.6 disability days, compared to the 10.9 disability days for the children treated surgically. Furthermore, non-operative treatment with antibiotics alone was also associated with fewer disability days for caregivers.
The study team says the findings could help clinicians move away from the one-size-fits-all model of treating children with appendicitis surgically to a more individualized model, where patients are treated on a case-by-case basis with either antibiotics alone or with surgery in severe cases.
Read more here – https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/newsroom/news-releases/2020/07/midwest-pediatric-surgery-consortium
