Appendicitis in Children

Every human being has a small structure that resembles a pouch, attached at the ending of the large intestine. Medical research has still not been able to understand the main purpose of the appendix. It is usually harmless. However, when it gets blocked due to some food or fecal particles, it is affected by bacteria, due to which the appendix becomes inflamed. This condition is called appendicitis. If appendicitis is not treated at the right time, the appendix might burst, spreading the bacteria inside the body, which can result into severe health problems and even death of the person.

Appendicitis can affect a person at any age. Most commonly it is seen to affect people between 10-30 years. However, there is a fair chance of even children getting it. When children have appendicitis, it can be difficult for the parents to recognize it immediately, because the symptoms of appendicitis are similar to a few other health problems in children.

Symptoms of Appendicitis

The most common symptom of appendicitis is severe abdominal pain. The pain would usually be felt at the center of the stomach, i.e. the navel area and slowly spreads downwards to its right side. The pain aggravates gradually, and is extreme when pressure is applied to the abdomen.

Nausea is also one of the symptoms of appendicitis and it is also likely that the child starts vomiting. He or she may have low-grade fever and also loss of appetite. Diarrhea and frequent urge to urinate is another sign of appendicitis in a child. It would be more difficult for parents to identify appendicitis in infants, because they cannot even complain of the abdominal pain. Parents can identify appendicitis in an infant it the baby's stomach looks bloated or swollen.

Diagnosis and Treatment

As these symptoms are prominent in children for other medical conditions, physicians would have to do various tests to understand the exact cause of the symptoms. Sometimes, the pediatrician can understand the cause of the discomfort by just giving a hand pressure test. Other tests that can be done to diagnose appendicitis are X-rays, CT Scan, blood and urine tests, etc.

The only treatment to cure appendicitis is surgery. It is very important to operate and remove the inflamed appendix within 72 hours after the child starts experiencing the symptoms. Parents would be asked not to give the child any food or water to prepare him or her for the surgery. The child may also be given antibiotics and IV, so that other organs of the body may not be affected by the bacteria. There are two methods of conducting an appendicitis surgery - open appendectomy and laparoscopic appendectomy. After surgery, the child may be asked to stay at the hospital for 2-3 days, before getting discharged.

Sometimes, it happens that the appendix ruptures before the surgery. Even though such cases are dangerous, the child can still be saved if the operation is done immediately and antibiotics are administered to the child for a long period of time after the operation.

The most important thing is that parents should have full knowledge about the symptoms of appendicitis in children. To be on the safe side, it would be beneficial if parents take their children to the physician immediately, if they complain of acute stomach pain.