Perforated Appendicitis

With traditional appendicitis the appendix becomes inflamed for whatever reason... (doctors suspect it's because of food or fecal obstruction or as a result of an infection). The appendix will keep growing with bacteria and pus-filled fluid until it bursts, provided that a person doesn't get it removed in time. Most cases of appendicitis will be in this form. However, there is a less common yet still serious form of appendicitis known as perforated appendicitis. With perforated appendicitis a hole forms in the inflamed appendix. Through this whole all of the contents that were in the appendix leaks out into the abdominal cavity. So, while perforated appendicitis doesn't actually result in an official appendix rupture, it can still produce the same results, since what was held within the appendix is being released out.

The symptoms of perforated appendicitis tend to be the same as regular appendicitis. This would include extreme abdominal pain and sometimes illness-related symptoms, such as a fever or nausea. However, there might be a bit of relief from abdominal pain as perforated appendicitis causes the appendix to drain. But it will only be for a very short period of time, as the drainage will cause more pain to erupt in the abdominal cavity. And this pain, (along with the infection itself), will not be treatable at home or even in a doctor's office. Emergency medical treatment is required to fully address perforated appendicitis.

Treatment for perforated appendicitis is two-fold. First, there's the issue of dealing with the drainage that has occurred because of the condition. The contents that have been released into the abdominal cavity must be completely drained, so a person doesn't develop a more serious abdominal infection. After that doctors have to decide what they are going to do with the perforated appendix itself. Most of the time surgeons will opt to remove the organ, since it was causing problems for the patient anyway. The removal process is pretty much the same as it would be for regular appendicitis, though there are some in the medical community that feel laparoscopic procedures, (a common surgical procedure for traditional appendicitis), might be too intense for sufferers of perforated appendicitis.

There is no known preventive measure for perforated appendicitis. All types of people can get the condition, regardless of their race, age or gender. However, it wouldn't hurt to eat in a nutritious manner, since many believe perforated appendicitis is the result of unresolved infection in the abdominal cavity. By eating a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants, a person makes their immune system strong enough that it can be in a better position to fight off things that could cause an infection. Again, this won't guarantee you won't get perforated appendicitis, but it could help at least a little bit.

In conclusion, perforated appendicitis is not as common as traditional appendicitis, but it should not be taken lightly. Sure, the appendix doesn't burst with perforated appendicitis, but it still functions in a lethal manner. If you have any major abdominal pain that does not go away after a few hours, consider taking a trip to the Emergency Room.