A doctoral student at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, Hansson’s thesis used data from two major clinical studies of adult patients carried out at Kungalv Hospital and Sahlgrenska Hospital.
While noting that for some acute appendicitis patients, surgery is absolutely necessary, Hansson found that 80% of patients that were suitable candidates for antibiotic treatment recovered and returned to full health. She also found that patients who underwent treatment with antibiotics had a recurrence risk of approximately 10-15%.
Clarifying her findings, Hansson also stated that for patients who eventually needed surgery because of a recurrence or resistance to the antibiotics, there were no additional risks compared to those that simply underwent the surgery.
Appendicitis occurs when the appendix, a small, closed tube attached to the beginning of the large intestine, becomes inflamed and painful. Major symptoms of appendicitis include pain in the abdomen, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting and fever. The standard treatment for appendicitis has been removal of the appendix.
Source: Times of India
