Review of acute appendicitis at Civil Hospital, Abbottabad.

A one year prospective study on 230 patients undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis and its complications was conducted at the Civil Hospital, Abbottabad. Acute appendicitis proved to be the commonest emergency in that hospital during the, study period (October 1982 September 1983). It was most often diagnosed in the age group between 20-29 year. There were 2.2 males to one female. Thirty of 60 patients with duration of symptoms longer than 3 days had generalized peritonitis following appendicular perforation as compared with 15 of 161 patients whose duration of symptoms was 3 days or less. The most common post operative complication was wound infection which was seen in 27% of 45 patients with generalized peritonitis as compared with 6% of the remaining 185. The post operative mortality rate was 4.4% for patients with generalized peritonitis and 0.5% for the rest. Fortyone of 230 appendices removed (18%) were histologically normal. (JPMA 35: 298, 1985).