Appendicitis could be cured by antibiotics, without the need of surgery

A study published in the journal Pediatrics found that appendicitis in children can be treated with the help of antibiotics, after which there will be no need of surgery.

Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix, caused by a blockage of the hollow portion of the appendix. It is most common in teenagers that are from ages between 10 and 20. The only cure of appendicitis was removal of appendix with surgery.

But recently researchers from University of Southampton, on looking upon 413 cases of children from the data that holds 10 years of records, found that antibiotics had no side effects and no risk of safety, it and that they are as reliable as surgery itself.

Nigel Hall, associate professor of pediatric surgery at the University of Southampton and author of the study, said “Acute appendicitis is one of the most common general surgical emergencies worldwide and surgery has long been the gold standard of treatment. But it is invasive and costly, not to mention extremely daunting for the child concerned and their family. Our review shows that antibiotics could be an alternative treatment method for children. When we compared the adult literature to the data in our review it suggested that antibiotic treatment of acute appendicitis is at least as effective in children as in adults”.

It could also be possible that this method might suit to one group of children and to the other surgery chooses the best. To evaluate the same, more deeply, researchers from St. George’s Hospital, Adler Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and Great Ormond Street Hospital will join the researchers of University of Southampton.

According to reports seven out of hundred people suffer from this disease, once in their lifetime, in England. Even if the final results have not been declared, the news that non-surgical ways can treat it has made many of westerns happy.