Seasonal Trends in Appendicitis: A Retrospective Observational Study

Introduction: Appendicitis is one of the most frequent surgical conditions of the abdomen, and appendectomy is one of the most commonly performed operations in the world. Age, sex, and seasonal variations have been observed, but the reasons for these variations are not yet known. Aims and Objectives: The present study was aimed to verify the possible existence of a seasonal variability in the onset of appendicitis. Materials and Methods: It’s a retrospective observational study done in hospitals attached to Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (Victoria Hospital), in the Department of General Surgery. A study period is from May 2016 to June 2018. A total of 180 cases admitted with diagnosis of appendicitis, during various days or months of the year were included in the study. The demographic features such as age and sex variations, seasonal variations, and histopathological (HPE) variations in the appendectomy specimen were all observed. Results: Age-specific incidence was highest being in males aged 20–30 years, whereas in females, the incidence was from 18 to 24 years. Sex ratio M: F - 2:1, males are 64% of the sample size. Seasonal variations: The incidence of appendicitis and appendectomy showed clear seasonality, with a peak in summer, April–June. Complications: Of those correctly diagnosed, 76% had uncomplicated acute appendicitis, 18% appendicitis with perforation, and 6% with other associations. Conclusion: Appendicitis is more common in males, in those aged 20–29 years and during the summer months. The incidence of appendicitis was significantly higher during the warm time of the year, probably due to exposure to air pollution, consumption of low-fiber diet, and increasing incidence of gastrointestinal infections.

Citation

Venkatappa Sunil Kumar, Tharanath Kavya, Mahadev Kotagi Irappa, Kumar Praveen, Vijayakumar Lakshmi, C Deepak. Seasonal Trends in Appendicitis: A Retrospective Observational Study. IJSS Journal of Surgery. 2019 Mar; 5(2): 1-6

URI

https://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/189885

Collections

IJSS Journal of Surgery

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