Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
The most frequent complication of appendicitis is perforation. Perforation of
the appendix can lead to a peri-appendiceal abscess (a collection of infected pus)
or diffuse peritonitis (infection of the entire lining of the abdomen and the
pelvis). The major
reason for appendiceal perforation is delay in diagnosis and treatment. In
general, the longer the delay between diagnosis and surgery, the more likely is
perforation. The risk of perforation 36 hours after the onset of symptoms
is at least 15%. Therefore,
once appendicitis is diagnosed, surgery should be done without unnecessary
delay.
A less common complication of appendicitis is blockage or obstruction of the intestine. Blockage occurs when the
inflammation surrounding the appendix causes the intestinal muscle to stop
working, and this prevents the intestinal contents
from passing. If the intestine above the blockage begins to fill with liquid and
gas, the abdomen distends and nausea and vomiting may occur. It then may be
necessary to drain the contents of the intestine through a tube passed through
the nose and esophagus and into the stomach and intestine.
A feared complication of appendicitis is sepsis, a condition in which
infecting bacteria enter the blood and travel to other parts of the body. This
is a very serious, even life-threatening complication. Fortunately, it occurs
infrequently.
What are the symptoms of appendicitis?
The main symptom of appendicitis is abdominal pain. The pain is at first
diffuse and poorly localized, that is, not confined to one spot. (Poorly
localized pain is typical whenever a problem is confined to the
small intestine or
colon, including the appendix.) The pain is so difficult to pinpoint that when
asked to point to the area of the pain, most people indicate the location of the
pain with a circular motion of their hand around the central part of their abdomen. A second, common,
early symptom of appendicitis is loss of appetite which may progress to nausea and even
vomiting. Nausea and vomiting also may occur later due to
intestinal obstruction.
As appendiceal inflammation increases, it extends through the appendix to its
outer covering and then to the lining of the abdomen,
a thin membrane called the
peritoneum. Once the peritoneum
becomes inflamed, the pain changes and then can be localized clearly to one
small area. Generally, this area is between the front of the right hip bone and
the belly button. The exact point is named after
Dr. Charles McBurney--McBurney's point. If the appendix ruptures and infection
spreads throughout the abdomen, the pain becomes diffuse again as the entire
lining of the abdomen becomes inflamed.
Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
Night sweats are severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. In order to distinguish night sweats that arise from medical causes from those that occur because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors generally refer to true night sweats as severe hot flashes occurring at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not related to an overheated environment.
Medical shock is a life-threatening medical condition. There are several types of medical shock, septic shock, anaphylactic shock, cardiogenic shock, hypovolemic shock, and neurogenic shock. Causes of shock include heart attack, heart failure, heavy bleeding (internal and external), infection, anaphylaxis, spinal cord injury, severe burns, chronic vomiting or diarrhea. Low blood pressure is the key sign of sock. Treatment is dependant upon the type of shock.
Abdominal adhesions (scar tissue) bands of scar tissue that form between abdominal organs and tissues. Symptoms of abdominal adhesions are pelvic or abdominal pain. Abdominal adhesions on the intestines can cause bowel obstruction, which is a medical emergency. Treatment for abdominal adhesions is generally surgery to cut the adhesions away from the internal tissues and organs. There is no way to prevent abdominal adhesions.
Digestion is the complex process of turning food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestive process also involves creating waste to be eliminated, and is made of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food.
Digestion RSS
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