It has been widely accepted that to treat Appendicitis, surgery was necessary. A recent study in the US provided proof that simple cases of Appendicitis can be treated by antibiotics instead of surgery.
Appendicitis is a common condition among children and it has challenged families in paying up for the bills that come with surgical treatment.
In a recent study conducted in the US, data show that families who chose antibiotics over surgery to treat simple appendicitis cases were successful. In fact, these families ended up spending less than they should have if they chose surgery over antibiotics.
Appendicitis is the inflammation of a small pouch of tissue in the large intestine that is caused by infection, trauma, blockage, or intestinal disorders.
The go-to treatment has always been appendectomy or the removal of the patient's appendix.
To extract results, 629 patients in the seven to 17 age bracket were screened to qualify for the study. Only 102 volunteered. When given the choice whether to undergo traditional surgery or the experimental antibiotic treatment, only 37 families agreed to be treated with antibiotics.
The 37 patients were to treated with 24-hour intravenous antibiotic followed by 10 days of orally ingesting the antibiotics.
76% of the 37 patients were healthy enough and did not need further treatment.
In regular appendectomy, the patient is required a 13-day rest to fully recover. Also, health care bills can reach up to $800.
The study team clarifies that the antibiotic treatment does not aim to replace its surgical counterpart but instead provides the patient's family with a choice.
The researchers believe that this alternative should not affect the quality of care that the patient deserves.
The antibiotic treatment for Appendicitis is now available in a few major hospitals but is introduced as an option alongside appendectomy. The alternative treatment will still be validated by a surgeon's advice on a case to case basis. The treatment is only offered to simple cases of Appendicitis.