In the perforated group, Sixty two (71%) patients had high WBC with 94% shift to the left compared to 72 (57%) patients with 61% shift to the left in the non perforated

group (Table 3). Clinical Assessment (CA), Ultrasonography (US) and Computerized Tomography (CT) scan were used in that order for diagnosis. Of all patients 31% were diagnosed by CA alone, US detected another 40% and the remaining 29% were diagnosed by CT scan (Table 4). Although we couldn’t calculate the sensitivity and specificity of each diagnostic test as we studied the positive cases only, we found that there were no false positive results Sorafenib research buy when CT scan was used. Table 4 Number and percentage of patients diagnosed with appendicitis Variable Total Perforated Nonperforated n=214 (100%) n= 87 (41%) n= 127 (59%) Diagnostic tools:       Clinical assessment 66 (31) 27 (31) 39 ( 31) Ultrasonography 85 (40) 29 (33) 56 (44) Computerized scan 63 (29) 31 (36) 32 (25) Mc Burney’s incision was used in 168 and lower midline incision in 46 patients. Post operative complications were seen in 44 (21%) patients. Complications were three times more frequent

in the perforated as compared to the nonperforated group of patients, 33 (75%) and 11 (25%) respectively (Table 1). Four patients developed wound dehiscence and other eight had intra abdominal Selleck BAY 80-6946 sepsis and collections, all in the perforated group except one. Other 22 patients in both groups had wound infection but all, except one, responded to antimicrobial treatment, debridement and dressings. Other complication as Edoxaban renal failure, chest infection, and respiratory failure, cardiovascular accidents were noted in both groups. There were 6 (3%) deaths in both groups, four in the perforated and two in the nonperforated group. In the perforated group, two patients developed multiple intra abdominal abscess collections and died due to uncontrollable sepsis. Of the other two, one was already on chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma and died due to uncontrollable atypical pneumonia while the other had an advanced cardiovascular

disease and died due to congestive heart failure. In the nonperforated group, one patient died due to uncontrolled intra abdominal sepsis and the other due to massive myocardial infarction. As expected, the hospital stay was longer for patients in the perforated group (7.4 ± 6.3 and 4.2 ±3.1 days in perforated and nonperforated groups respectively) (Table 2). Discussion Acute appendicitis continues to be the commonest cause of surgical abdominal emergency. It was often thought to be the disease of the young but as a result of recent increases in lifetime expectancy, the incidence of acute appendicitis also increased in the elderly [1–11]. The incidence of appendiceal perforation in acute appendicitis is estimated to be in the range of 20-30% which increases to 32-72% in patients above 60 years of age [3–9, 12–14].