[The local complications of appendicitis]

In order to find out the predisposing factors of local complications after appendectomy in two general hospitals, 268 charts of patients with acute appendicitis confirmed by surgery were reviewed. There were 142 males and 126 females. All wounds were closed and prophylactic antibiotics were not used. Sixty patients (22 per cent) developed local complications; 49 (81.7 per cent) surgical wound infection and 11 (18.3 per cent) with intra-abdominal abscess. In the wound infection group 25 per cent had complicated acute appendicitis and only one per cent non-complicated acute appendicitis. The correlation between the preoperative period and wound sepsis showed, the longer period the higher incidence of wound infection, 1.7 per cent with less than 24 hr. 11 per cent with less than 72 hr. and 78.9 per cent with more than 96 hr.