An Evidence-Based Review of Acute Appendicitis in Childhood
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March 2012 An Evidence-Based Review Volume 9, Number 3 Of Acute Appendicitis In Authors Inna Elikashvili, DO Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Childhood Medicine, New York, NY Lou Spina , MD Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Department Abstract of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY Peer Reviewers The special diagnostic challenges of appendicitis in children, along Tyler Ayalin, MD with the greater dangers of misdiagnosis, delay, and perforation, Pediatric Emergency Medicine Fellow, Department of make swift and accurate diagnosis of appendicitis essential for emer- Emergency Medicine, Loma Linda University Medical gency clinicians. Appendicitis is the most common indication for Center and Children’s Hospital, Loma Linda, CA John Cheng, MD, FAAP abdominal surgery in children presenting to the emergency depart- Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of ment. Because of the frequently atypical presentation of appendicitis Emergency Medicine, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, in children, delayed diagnosis is common, affecting as many as 57% GA Eric J. Morley, MD, MS of cases of appendicitis in children under 6 years of age. Although Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Residency the risk decreases with age, perforation has been reported in more Director, SUNY Downstate/Kings County Hospital Center, than 70% of children in the first 4 years of life at the time of surgery. Brooklyn, NY Jatinder Singh, MD, FAAEM, FACEP Because the differential diagnosis for right-lower-quadrant pain in Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, New pediatric patients is so extensive, this review notes how signs and York College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glen Head, NY; Clinical Instructor and Attending Physician, Department of symptoms can vary by age group. A discussion of how a detailed, Emergency Medicine, Nassau University Medical Center, age-appropriate history can help guide the emergency clinician in East Meadow, NY determining diagnostic strategies is reviewed. Evidence regarding CME Objectives the choices of radiologic studies for children, including ultrasound Upon completion of this article, you should be able to: and computed tomography, is presented, along with prophylactic an- 1. Identify an appropriate differential diagnosis for tibiotics, pain medication, and the benefits of early surgical consult. pediatric appendicitis the ED. 2. Describe key features of the history and physical examination that may distinguish appendicitis from other conditions. 3. Determine appropriate diagnostic tools for use in pediatric patients in the diagnosis of appendicitis. For physician information, please see back page. AAP Sponsor and Dentistry of New Jersey; Pediatric Emergency Medicine Tommy Y. Kim, MD, FAAP, FACEP Gary R. Strange, MD, MA, FACEP Director, Pediatric Emergency Division, Medical Director - Pediatric Assistant Professor of Emergency Professor and Head, Department Martin I. Herman, MD, FAAP, FACEP Medicine, Children’s Medical Center, Emergency Department, University Medicine and Pediatrics, Loma of Emergency Medicine, University Professor of Pediatrics, Attending Atlantic Health System; Department of Florida Health Science Center Linda Medical Center and of Illinois, Chicago, IL Physician, Emergency Medicine of Emergency Medicine, Morristown Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL Children’s Hospital, Loma Christopher Strother, MD Department, Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital, Morristown, NJ Linda, CA Children’s Hospital, Pensacola, FL Alson S. Inaba, MD, FAAP, Assistant Professor, Director, Ran D. Goldman, MD PALS-NF Brent R. King, MD, FACEP, FAAP, Undergraduate and Emergency Editorial Board Associate Professor, Department Pediatric Emergency Medicine FAAEM Simulation, Mount Sinai School of Jeffrey R. Avner, MD, FAAP of Pediatrics, University of Toronto; Attending Physician, Kapiolani Professor of Emergency Medicine Medicine, New York, NY Division of Pediatric Emergency Medical Center for Women & and Pediatrics; Chairman, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics Adam Vella, MD, FAAP and Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology Children; Associate Professor of Department of Emergency Medicine, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College and Toxicology, The Hospital for Sick Pediatrics, University of Hawaii The University of Texas Houston Medicine and Pediatrics, Director of Medicine, Children’s Hospital at Children, Toronto, ON John A. Burns School of Medicine, Medical School, Houston, TX Of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Honolulu, HI; Pediatric Advanced Montefiore, Bronx, NY Mark A. Hostetler, MD, MPH Robert Luten, MD Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Life Support National Faculty T. Kent Denmark, MD, FAAP, FACEP Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Professor, Pediatrics and New York, NY Emergency Medicine, University Representative, American Heart Emergency Medicine, University of Medical Director, Medical Simulation Michael Witt, MD, MPH, FACEP, of Arizona Children’s Hospital Association, Hawaii and Pacific Florida, Jacksonville, FL Center; Associate Professor of FAAP Division of Emergency Medicine, Island Region Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghazala Q. Sharieff, MD, FAAP, Medical Director, Pediatric Phoenix, AZ Loma Linda University Medical Andy Jagoda, MD, FACEP FACEP, FAAEM Emergency Medicine, Elliot Hospital Professor and Chair, Department Center and Children’s Hospital, Madeline Matar Joseph, MD, Associate Clinical Professor, Manchester, NH of Emergency Medicine, Mount Loma Linda, CA FAAP, FACEP Children’s Hospital and Health Sinai School of Medicine; Medical Research Editor Michael J. Gerardi, MD, FAAP, Associate Professor of Emergency Center/University of California; Medicine and Pediatrics, Assistant Director, Mount Sinai Hospital, New Director of Pediatric Emergency FACEP York, NY Lana Friedman, MD Clinical Assistant Professor of Chair for Pediatrics - Emergency Medicine, California Emergency Fellow, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Medicine Medicine Department, Chief - Physicians, San Diego, CA Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY Accreditation: EB Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Faculty Disclosure: Dr. Elikashvili, Dr. Cheng, Dr. Morley, Dr. Singh, and their related parties report no significant financial interest or other relationship with the manufacturer(s) of any commercial product(s) discussed in this educational presentation. Commercial Support: This issue of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice did not receive any commercial support. Case Presentation occur in 12% of adolescents and up to 67% of children younger than 3 years of age.6,7 Misdiagnosis results in A 5-year-old boy is brought into the ED by his parents higher rates of perforation, increased morbidity, and because of worsening abdominal pain, vomiting, and fever increased cost and length of hospitalization.8,9 Missed over the past 48 hours. They are worried because their diagnoses of appendicitis can also lead to high mal- son’s appetite has dramatically declined in the past 2 days practice claims.3,6 Accurate and early diagnosis of and his fever spiked to 102.3°F (39°C) this evening. There acute appendicitis can help decrease rates of perfora- are no known sick contacts. The child is otherwise healthy tion and further complications. and up-to-date with all his immunizations. In the ED, This issue of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice the child is febrile to 101°F (38.3°C) and mildly tachy- reviews the current literature in the evaluation, diag- cardic. On examination, the child is tired-appearing with nosis, and management of children with suspected a tender abdomen, especially in the right lower quadrant. acute appendicitis. Common clinical presentations of You note both voluntary and involuntary guarding in this appendicitis will be discussed as well as epidemiol- region. The heart and lung portion of the examination is ogy and pathophysiology. Current recommendations normal except for the previously noted tachycardia. You for diagnostic workup and management of acute ask the nurse to place a peripheral IV line in the child, appendicitis in children are covered. For more infor- obtain lab work, and start IV fluids. At this point, the mation on management of appendicitis in adults, see parents ask you, “What is your main concern?” the October 2011 issue of Emergency Medicine Practice, “Evidence-Based Management of Suspected Appen- Introduction dicitis In The Emergency Department.” Abdominal pain is the most common presenting Epidemiology symptom for children in the emergency department (ED). Acute appendicitis has been diagnosed in 1% Appendicitis is the most common indication for to 8% of children evaluated for abdominal pain in abdominal surgery in children presenting to the urgent care settings, making it the most common ED. Although children present with abdominal surgical etiology found in these patients.1,2 The diag- pain year-round, and diagnoses of appendicitis are nosis of appendicitis remains a challenge, especially made throughout the year, it has been noted that 10,11 in younger children, due to a nonspecific presenta- rates are higher from May through September. tion and atypical symptoms.1,3-5 Examples of differ- Luckmann and Davis reported peak rates in July, 11 ences in signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis, August, and September. by age, are reviewed in Table 1. Aarabi et al recently reported on the overall The diagnosis