PEDIATRIC APPENDICITIS

Course overview

APPENDICITIS IS AN ACUTE INFLAMMATORY PROCESS INVOLVING THE APPENDIX. IT IS THE NUMBER ONE SURGICAL EMERGENCY AND ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF ABDOMINAL PAIN, PARTICULARLY IN CHILDREN. IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN ANY PATIENT WITH ACUTE ABDOMINAL PAIN WITHOUT PRIOR APPENDECTOMY. THE DIAGNOSIS MUST BE MADE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WITH TIME, THE RATE OF RUPTURE INCREASES. THIS ACTIVITY EXAMINES WHEN THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS AND HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE FOR IT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.