Appendicitis In Children

The 80's television show, Rosanne, was one of the few if only sitcoms to bring to light the phenomenon of appendicitis in children. Darlene, Rosanne's middle child, had become inflicted with appendicitis while playing baseball at school. She was rushed to the hospital, and was in a very critical situation. She survived the situation, but that doesn't lessen how serious appendicitis children is. In fact, one of the main points of the episode was to showcase how devastating appendicitis in children can be, whether it's for the child themselves or their parents.

So, when it comes to appendicitis in children, what should parents be aware of? Well, first they need to know the general symptoms of appendicitis. By having this knowledge, they will know whether or not they need to take their child to the Emergency Room. What are these symptoms? The most common one is pain in the lower right side of the abdomen. This may be accompanied with other symptoms such as: nausea, a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and an inability to pass gas. However, when it comes to appendicitis in children, many kids may not have the secondary symptoms. Or, if they have them it's only one or two... not all in one bunch. Yet, all cases of appendicitis in children will involve pain in the stomach region.

The ages of children affected by appendicitis usually range from age 10 onward. However, any child can get appendicitis. In fact, if a child under 4 gets the condition, they are more likely to suffer a ruptured appendix. This is when appendicitis gets so bad the inflammation causes the organ to burst, releasing dangerous toxins in the abdominal cavity. This is a life-threatening situation that is even worse on a child who's immune system isn't as developed as a teenager or an adult. Of course, a ruptured appendix is dangerous for them too, but they might be able to hold out a little longer. So, make sure to play it safe. If your child complains of a tummy ache, take them to the doctor as soon as possible and let them know that you are concerned about whether or not your child might be suffering from appendicitis. While doctors are concerned about the possibility of misdiagnosis, in most cases the risk of a misdiagnosis is a lot better than waiting around.

As far as treatment, appendicitis in children is dealt with in the same manner as adult appendicitis. Basically, doctors perform immediate surgery to remove the appendix. If the appendix has ruptured, the surgery is done to try and drain the abdominal cavity, though sometimes antibiotics may help resolve any infections that might have occurred due to the rupture. The child will be watched closely for any complications. If they still exhibit appendicitis symptoms, doctors will prescribe antibiotics. Why is this done instead of additional surgery? Well, when there are appendicitis symptoms even after the appendix has been removed, usually the underlying cause are the structures around the appendix, (which are not removable). They become inflamed, making a child still feel like they have the disease. But such things happen to your child don't worry, as the antibiotics will get these structures back to normal.