Acute appendicitis: a prospective study of 54 cases

Fifty-four cases of acute appendicitis were studied prospectively within a period of 11 months spanning between February-September, 1991 and December, 1991-February, 1992. The mean age was 25.4 years with a range of 8-70 years. Ninety percent of the patient were between 11-40 years of age. Male patients accounted for 54% of the cases. Students and civil servants accounted for 68%, while artisans and traders accounted for remaining cases. Low abdominal pain was present in all cases, loss of appetite in 77.7%, and previous history of abdominal pain in 76%. Abdominal tenderness was present in all the patients, rebound tenderness in 77.7%, guarding in 81.5% and Rovsings sign in 50%. In 12 cases (22%) the diagnosis was incorrect 8 of which were female patients. In 9.3% there was perforation. Wound infection and wound dehiscence occurred in 20.4% and 7.4% of the cases respectively. It is concluded from this study that acute appendicitis is commonly encountered in private Hospital, clinical course and postoperative outcome are not different from what obtained in major medical establishments.