Antibiotics could replace surgery for some kids with appendicitis

Tuesday, July 28, 2020 - 11:20 in Health & Medicine

For children who have uncomplicated appendicitis, non-surgical treatment can mean they spend less time being sick and don’t have to deal with the risks of surgical complications. (Unsplash/)It used to be that appendicitis nearly always meant getting your appendix removed. However, in the last decade, a spate of new research has demonstrated that treating the infected appendix with a course of antibiotics can, in some cases, resolve appendicitis without the need for an appendectomy. A new study found that having the option to choose the antibiotics route can, in some cases, lead to better outcomes for both children with appendicitis and for their caregivers. Published this week in the journal JAMA, the study involved over 10 different children’s hospitals, enrolling 1068 children between the ages of 7 and 17 years who came to the hospital with uncomplicated appendicitis. Previous research in adults used randomized trials to determine the efficacy of the...

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