Antibiotics versus appendectomy in the management of acute appendicitis: A review of the current evidence

Canadian Journal of Surgery

Volumn 54, Issue 5, 2011, Pages 307-314

  Fitzmaurice, Gerard J ^a,b   McWilliams, Billy ^b   Hurreiz, Hisham ^a   Epanomeritakis, Emanuel ^a  

^a CRAIGAVON AREA HOSPITAL   (United Kingdom)

^b CARDIFF UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 80053230448     PISSN: 0008428X     EISSN: 14882310     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1503/cjs.006610     Document Type: Review

References (53)

1. O'Connell PR. The vermiform appendix. In: Williams NS, Bulstrode CJK, O'Connell PR, editors. Bailey and Love's short practice of surgery. 25th ed. London (UK): Hodder Arnold; 2008. p. 1204-18.
2. Rao PM, Rhea JT, Rattner DW, et al. Introduction of appendiceal CT: impact on negative appendectomy and appendiceal perforation rates. Ann Surg 1999;229:344-9. (Pubitemid 30191769)
3. Soreide K. Should antibiotic treatment replace appendectomy for acute appendicitis? Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol 2007;4:584-5. (Pubitemid 350055554)
4. Coursey CA, Nelson RC, Patel MB, et al. Making the diagnosis of acute appendicitis: Do more preoperative CT scans mean fewer negative appendectomies? A 10-year study. Radiology 2010;254:460-8.
5. Chooi WK, Brown JA, Zelter P, et al. Imaging of acute appendicitis and its impact on negative appendectomy and perforation rates: the St. Paul's experience. Can Assoc Radiol J 2007;58:220-4. (Pubitemid 350021945)
6. Kim K, Lee CC, Song KJ, et al. The impact of helical computed tomography on the negative appendectomy rate: a multi-center comparison. J Emerg Med 2008;34:3-6.
7. Mason RJ. Surgery for appendicitis: Is it necessary? Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2008;9:481-8.
8. Owen A, Moore O, Marven S, et al. Interval laparoscopic appendicectomy in children. J Laparoendosc Adv Surg Tech A 2006;16:308-11.
9. Gillick J, Mohanan N, Das L, et al. Laparoscopic appendicectomy after conservative management of appendix mass. Pediatr Surg Int 2008;24:299-301.
10. Gillick J, Velayudham M, Puri P. Conservative management of appendix mass in children. Br J Surg 2001;88:1539-42. (Pubitemid 32989478)
11. Appraisal tools. In: SPH, Solutions for Public Health [a website of the Public Health Resource Unit]. Available at: www.sph.nhs.uk/what-we-do/public- health-workforce/resources /critical-appraisals-skills-programme (accessed 2011 Apr. 20).
12. Guyatt GH, Sackett DL, Sinclair JC, et al. Users' guides to the medical literature. IX. A method for grading healthcare recommendations. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. JAMA 1995;274:1800-4.
13. Soreide K, Korner H, Soreide JA. Type II error in a randomised controlled trial of appendectomy vs. antibiotic treatment of acute appendicitis. World J Surg 2007;31:871-2. (Pubitemid 46496248)
14. Saadia R. Re: Is there a role for interval appendectomy in the management of acute appendicitis? [letter] Am Surg 2001;67:815.
15. Ozgüç H. Appendectomy versus antibiotic treatment in acute appendicitis: a prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial. World J Surg 2007;31:615. (Pubitemid 46356089)
16. Moberg AC, Berndsen F, Palmquist I, et al. Randomised clinical trial of laparoscopic versus open appendicectomy for confirmed appendicitis. Br J Surg 2005;92:298-304. (Pubitemid 40445591)
17. Bennett J, Boddy A, Rhodes M. Choice of approach for appendicectomy: a meta-analysis of open versus laparoscopic appendicectomy. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 2007;17:245-55. (Pubitemid 47294942)
18. Sauerland S, Lefering R, Neugebauer EAM. Laparoscopic versus open surgery for suspected appendicitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2004;4:CD001546.
19. Andersson REB. Small bowel obstruction after appendicectomy. Br J Surg 2001;88:1387-91. (Pubitemid 32955422)
20. Tingstedt B, Johansson J, Nehez L, et al. Late abdominal complaints after appendectomy - readmissions during long-term follow-up. Dig Surg 2004;21:23-7. (Pubitemid 38490172)
21. Andersson RE. The natural history and traditional management of appendicitis revisited: spontaneous resolution and predominance of prehospital perforations imply that a correct diagnosis is more important than an early diagnosis. World J Surg 2007;31:86-92. (Pubitemid 46089548)
22. Andersson RE, Petzold MG. Nonsurgical treatment of appendiceal abscess or phlegmon. Ann Surg 2007;246:741-8.
23. Aprahamian CJ, Barnhart DC, Bledsoe SE, et al. Failure in the nonoperative management of pediatric ruptured appendicitis: predictors and consequences. J Pediatr Surg 2007;42:934-8. (Pubitemid 46856433)
24. Blomqvist PG, Andersson REB, Granath F, et al. Mortality after appendectomy in Sweden, 1987-1996. Ann Surg 2001;233:455-60. (Pubitemid 32234944)
25. Dixon MR, Haukoos JS, Park IU, et al. An assessment of the severity of recurrent appendicitis. Am J Surg 2003;186:718-22. (Pubitemid 37522112)
26. Levin T, Whyte C, Borzykowski R, et al. Nonoperative management of perforated appendicitis in children: Can CT predict outcome? Pediatr Radiol 2007;37:251-5.
27. Groetsch SM, Shaughnessy JM. Medical management of acute appendicitis: a case report. J Am Board Fam Pract 2001;14:225-6. (Pubitemid 32428690)
28. Zerem E, Salkic N, Imamovic G, et al. Comparison of therapeutic effectiveness of percutaneous drainage with antibiotics versus antibiotics alone in the treatment of periappendiceal abscess: Is appendectomy always necessary after perforation of appendix? Surg Endosc 2007; 21:461-6.
29. Anderson BR, Kallehave FL, Andersen HK. Antibiotics versus placebo for prevention of postoperative infection after appendicectomy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005;(3):CD001439.
30. St Peter SD, Tsao K, Spilde TL, et al. Single daily dosing ceftriaxone and metronidazole vs standard triple antibiotic regimen for perforated appendicitis in children: a prospective randomised trial. J Pediatr Surg 2008;43:981-5. (Pubitemid 351814893)
31. Mui LM, Ng CS, Wong SK, et al. Optimum duration of prophylactic antibiotics in acute non-perforated appendicitis. ANZ J Surg 2005; 75:425-8. (Pubitemid 40896906)
32. Schneider A, Sack U, Rothe K, et al. Peritoneal taurolidine lavage in children with localised peritonitis due to appendicitis. Pediatr Surg Int 2005; 21:445-8. (Pubitemid 40922376)
33. Taylor E, Berjis A, Bosch T, et al. The efficacy of postoperative oral antibiotics in appendicitis: a randomised prospective double-blind study. Am Surg 2004;70:858-62.
34. McGreal GT, Joy A, Manning B, et al. Antiseptic wick: Does it reduce the incidence of wound infection following appendectomy? World J Surg 2002;26:631-4. (Pubitemid 36920380)
35. Lintula H, Kokki H, Vanamo K, et al. Laparoscopy in children with complicated appendicitis. J Pediatr Surg 2002;37:1317-20. (Pubitemid 34977609)
36. Cervantes-Sánchez CR, Gutierrez-Vega R, Vazquez-Carpizo JA, et al. Syringe pressure irrigation of subdermic tissue after appendectomy to decrease the incidence of postoperative wound infections. World J Surg 2000;24:38-41.
37. Rice HE, Brown RL, Gollin G, et al. Results of a pilot trial comparing prolonged intravenous antibiotics with sequential intravenous/oral antibiotics for children with perforated appendicitis. Arch Surg 2001;136:1391-5. (Pubitemid 33117046)
38. Górecki WJ, Grochowski JA. Are antibiotics necessary in nonperfor - ated appendicitis in children? A double blind randomised controlled trial. Med Sci Monit 2001;7:289-92. (Pubitemid 32244811)
39. Harahsheh B, Hiyasat B, Abulail A, et al. Management of wound infection after appendectomy: Are parenteral antibiotics useful? East Mediterr Health J 2002;8:638-44. (Pubitemid 39654831)
40. Hansson J, Korner U, Khorram-Manesh A, et al. Randomised clinical trial of antibiotic therapy versus appendicectomy as primary treatment of acute appendicitis in unselected patients. Br J Surg 2009;96:473-81.
41. Farahnak M, Talaei-Khoei M, Gorouhi F, et al. The Alvarado score and antibiotics therapy as a corporate protocol versus conventional clinic management: randomised controlled pilot study of approach to acute appendicitis. Am J Emerg Med 2007;25:850-2. (Pubitemid 47385046)
42. Malik AA, Bari S. Conservative management of acute appendicitis. J Gastrointest Surg 2009;13:966-70.
43. Styrud J, Eriksson S, Nilsson I, et al. Appendectomy versus antibiotic treatment in acute appendicitis: a prospective multi-center random - ised controlled trial. World J Surg 2006;30:1033-7. (Pubitemid 43824415)
44. Alvarado A. A practical score for early diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Ann Emerg Med 1986;15:557-64. (Pubitemid 16052109)
45. Liu K, Ahanchi S, Pisaneschi M, et al. Can acute appendicitis be treated by antibiotics alone? Am Surg 2007;73:1161-5. (Pubitemid 351396529)
46. Abes M, Petik B, Kazil S. Non-operative treatment of acute appendicitis in children. J Pediatr Surg 2007;42:1439-42. (Pubitemid 47238338)
47. Stahlfeld K, Hower J, Homitsky S, et al. Is acute appendicitis a surgical emergency? Am Surg 2007;73:626-9. (Pubitemid 351396666)
48. Friedell ML, Perez-Izquierdo M. Is there a role for interval appendectomy in the management of acute appendicitis? Am Surg 2000;66: 1158-62. (Pubitemid 32003418)
49. Yardeni D, Hirschi RB, Drongowski RA, et al. Delayed versus im - mediate surgery in acute appendicitis: Do we need to operate during the night? J Pediatr Surg 2004;39:464-9. (Pubitemid 38338368)
50. Balzarotti R, Smadja C, Yves GS, et al. Elective versus urgent laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis. Minerva Chir 2009;64:9-16.
51. St. Peter SD, Aguayo P, Fraser JD, et al. Initial laparoscopic appendectomy versus initial nonoperative management and interval appendectomy for perforated appendicitis with abscess: a prospective, randomised trial. J Pediatr Surg 2010;45:236-40.
52. Marin D, Ho LM, Barnhart H, et al. Percutaneous abscess drainage in patients with perforated acute appendicitis: effectiveness, safety, and prediction of outcome. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2010;194:422-9.
53. Leung TT, Dixon E, Gill M, et al. Bowel obstruction following appendectomy: What is the true incidence? Ann Surg 2009;250:51-3.