Easy availability of Antibiotics on Appendicitis

The mainstay of treatment to appendicitis is appendectomy, the surgical removal of appendix. Off late the latest laparoscopic techniques used in the surgical removal offers quick and easy fix for appendicitis. The approach to antibiotic though has merits, is not practiced widely.

Is there a milder form of appendicitis?

That is precisely what the research say. Over 80% of the appendicitis is milder. They do not warrant an immediate surgery. There are these other 20% which fall under the emergency category. They definitely require surgical removal as they are in critical stage of rupturing. Because they are highly inflamed and inflated, they warrant surgical removal as they can burst anytime.

A simple CT scan can ascertain which type of appendicitis one falls, either a milder one or a more emergency one.

 Antibiotics administering and appendicitis

The incidence of getting administered antibiotics for any ailments has increased many times even for simple cough, cold and bruises. While we are aware of antibiotic resistance that can strike back, we are not going to discuss this here. More often only gastro-surgeons can decide if surgery is required for appendicitis or not. This may be due to many reasons as the need for surgery is not decided by one factor alone. Factors like, history (two three episodes of pain associated with appendicitis), general condition of the patient, clinical examination and investigation like CT of the abdomen are taken into consideration.

Usually a pain in the stomach being treated by a physician who is just a medical practitioner, often end up prescribing an antibiotic. If in case the pain in the abdomen was because of appendicitis and if it was milder, unknowingly the antibiotic might have caused some respite.  Hence the incidence of appendicitis not being reported at all is pretty high.

So can antibiotics cure appendicitis?

For patients with milder (non-obstructive) appendicitis it is theorized that antibiotic treatment would suffice. However there are increased instances that the inflammation is only suppressed for a temporary period and it might come back any moment. Instances of appendicitis coming back have been widely reported. This is particularly stark when the person ages and the immune system becomes susceptible.

Conclusion – Dr. Maran, the leading Gastro-surgeon and gastroenterologist in Chennai at Springfield Wellness Centre is of the opinion that a 100% cure for appendicitis using antibiotic is not assured. Dr. Maran opines that the protocol for appendicitis treatment is only a surgical removal of the appendix and it continues to remain the main treatment protocol till date.