Frequency and Association of Perforated Appendix with Patient’s Characteristics in Acute Appendicitis

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of perforated acute appendicitis in patients with acute appendicitis and its association with patients clinic demographic characteristics. Study design and setting: This cross sectional study was conducted in general surgery unit from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022. Methodology: 171 patients were included. Patients who were provisionally diagnosed as acute appendicitis were included in the study. Sampling technique was nonprobability consecutive sampling. Statistical analysis was done through SPSS Version 23. Results: The study included 171 patients, with 58.5% male and 41.5% female. The majority of patients were aged between 25-35 years and had a normal weight. Grossly inflamed appendix was the most common finding (69.6%), followed by perforated appendix (19.3%), normal appendix (8.2%), and gangrenous appendicitis (2.9%). There was no statistically significant difference between gender and intraoperative findings. Age categories and duration of symptoms were significantly associated with intraoperative findings. Conclusion: In conclusion, 19.3% of patients with acute appendicitis presented with perforation. Age and duration of symptoms were found to be significantly associated with intraoperative findings, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and timely surgical intervention