Read the text below.
A recent study claims that most cases of appendicitis can be treated with antibiotics instead of surgery.
Appendicitis is a condition wherein the appendix, or a small tube attached to the large intestine, experiences inflammation. Oftentimes, doctors consider appendicitis a condition that calls for surgery to remove the inflamed appendix. If left unremoved, the appendix could burst and cause a severe infection in the stomach.
But according to a study from Finland, antibiotics are an effective alternative to surgery. Before arriving at a conclusion, researchers observed 257 patients who had acute appendicitis and were given an antibiotic treatment. After five years of monitoring, researchers found that around 64% of those patients completely recovered from appendicitis.
Results also showed that antibiotics may be suitable for cases wherein the appendix has not ruptured. Through advanced tests, it is now easier to determine whether or not the appendix is at the point of bursting. Therefore, doctors can efficiently recommend either surgery or antibiotics to patients.
Moreover, the study suggests that antibiotics are a safe method of treatment even for children with appendicitis. Dr. Paulina Salminen, the lead researcher, is also confident that using antibiotics for appendicitis will not result in severe conditions.
However, one medical expert raised concerns over this treatment. Dr. Robert Glatter, a physician from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, noted that appendicitis still recurred for some patients in the study. Eventually, close to 40% of the patients had to undergo surgery.
Glatter recognized the effectiveness of using antibiotics in treating acute appendicitis. Nevertheless, he emphasized that further studies must be done, especially on more severe cases of appendicitis.