Basurto KE, Martínez GO,Olmos RG, Buitron GFR

Language: Spanish
References: 16
Page: 230-233
PDF size: 68.65 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Objective: To present the frequency of acute appendicitis during pregnancy and its diagnosis and handling.
Setting: Private third level health care hospital with obstetric priority care.
Design: Retrospective, descriptive, transversal study.
Statistical analysis: Percentages as summary measure for qualitative variables.
Patients and method: Pregnant patients that were subjected to appendectomy with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis in a 3-year period ( 2003-2005). Analyzed variables were: age, parity, gestational age, clinical data, time of evolution, surgical route, complications, total number of live newborns and of appendectomies in the same period.
Results: Thirteen pregnant patients were subjected to appendectomy; incidence was of 1:928, which corresponds to 0.10% (9828 live newborns) and a relation of appendectomies in pregnant women versus non-pregnant women of 1:48 (630 appendectomies). Average age of our patients was of 30.69 years; 61.5% were in the second trimester of pregnancy. Ten cases were subjected to open surgery and three to laparoscopy. One case of preterm labor threat occurred. No maternal or perinatal deaths occurred.
Conclusion: Frequency of appendicitis in pregnant women is higher at our hospital than reported in the literature. It occurs most frequently during the 2^nd trimester of pregnancy. Diagnosis was based on clinical data and 75% of the cases had an evolution of 24 h or less with a diagnostic certainty of 76.9%. Early multidisciplinary management (gynecologist-obstetrician, surgeon and anesthesiologist) resulted in the absence of mortality and complications.

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