Potential causes of delays in paediatric perforated appendicitis: A prospective interview study

Delays in care may be a driver of inequities in perforated appendicitis rates. The goal of this study was to explore potential causes of delay in care for children with perforated appendicitis.

We conducted an interview study of caregivers of children admitted with perforated appendicitis to a children's hospital between December 2022 and March 2023. Semi-structured interviews based on an iteratively revised interview guide were conducted in-person during the child's admission. All interviews were transcribed, coded and underwent a process of thematic analysis.

We reached thematic saturation after 12 interviews. The median age for children was 13.5 years, 50% were male, 83% of caregivers self-identified as White, and one interview required an interpreter. Through thematic analysis, four major themes for potential causes of delay emerged. The first theme of symptom recognition includes delays related to recognising the symptoms, their severity and the need for medical evaluation. The second theme - accessing care - describes delays that occur after a decision was made to seek care until the child was evaluated. The third theme includes delays that occur in making the diagnosis after evaluation. The last theme captures potential delays in definitive treatment after a diagnosis of appendicitis is made.

We identify four major themes from the patient and family perspective, each with multiple sub-themes, for potential delays in definitive care for children with perforated appendicitis. Additional research is needed to further characterise these potential delays and quantify their role in contributing to inequities in perforation rates.