Outcome of Acute Appendicitis During COVID-19 Infection

Acute appendicitis is the main cause of urgent abdominal surgeries performed worldwide. The disease is most prevalent in the second and third decades of life, and patients typically range in age from five to 45. One of the most common non-elective procedures performed by general surgeons, appendectomy is still the gold standard for treating acute appendicitis despite the variety of clinical presentation patterns. Our study aimed to compare the outcomes of surgically treating acute appendicitis (open versus laparoscopic) with respect to pain control, hospital stay, sepsis, and clinical improvement during the COVID-19 pandemic. This retrospective cohort study audit was conducted at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust. The documents maintained in the form of discharge notes, drug charts, operation notes, admission notes, and sunrise system notes. The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust's medical ethics committee approved the study and determined that informed consent was not necessary. The patients' identities remained secret. Data from November 2019 to July 2021 was collected retroactively and analyzed using Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA). The gender ratio of patients who had laparoscopic appendectomy was nearly equal, with 21 (52%) and 19 (48%) of the patients who underwent open appendectomy being female (65% of open cases) and 14 (35%) of the cases male (open cases). The laparoscopic group had a higher overall postoperative complication rate (22% versus 18%), but the open appendectomy group had a higher rate of open wound infection. Finally, our study highlights the importance of a nuanced understanding of patient demographics and clinical presentations when comparing open and laparoscopic appendectomy, providing insightful information about the outcomes of acute appendicitis. The differences in postoperative care and complication rates highlight how difficult surgical approach decision-making can be. More investigation is necessary to determine the fundamental causes of these variations and to improve recommendations for the best possible patient care, particularly in the face of difficult medical situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.