What is Burst Appendix ?
admin on 12 14, 2009
A burst appendix is very painful and can lead to serious complications, including death. The appendix is a small organ of the human digestive system and modern medicine still hasn’t figured out what its function is. What is known that a burst appendix is bad news.The appendix is a small, finger-shaped organ in the abdominal cavity which is attached through an opening in the large intestine.The main cause behind appendicitis or inflammation of appendix is blockage inside it. The appendix may get blocked by feces or due to some infection caused by bacteria or virus. As a result, pressure rises inside the appendix and the normal blood flow gets affected and causes inflammation.
Significance:
A burst appendix can be fatal if it is not attended to quickly. Although the exact causes of a burst appendix are not completely understood it seems that the appendix will become blocked, perhaps by stool and eventually become inflamed and rupture.Before the advent of modern antibiotics this condition often resulted in death. Now the majority of people that have their appendix survive with proper treatment.
Symptoms:
Abdominal pain is one of the most common burst appendix symptoms. It is an extremely sharp pain that originates from the belly button and get extended to the right side up to the hip area.In the initial stage of appendicitis, the pain tends to come and go, but burst appendix pain is intolerable and refuses to die down in spite of all efforts. If the appendix area of the abdomen is gently touched, it gives extreme pain.
The digestive system is badly affected due to appendix burst condition. It leads to improper bowel movements, and either diarrhea or constipation can occur. Some people get nausea and frequent vomiting at this stage. Swelling in the abdomen accompanied by bloated condition can also be observed in many cases.
High fever is another symptom found when the appendix is in the bursting condition. When there is only a mild swelling in the appendix, one gets a mild fever, but as it turns into a severely inflamed condition, it get perforated and starts spreading infection inside the abdomen, and the body temperature rises as a result of that.
Treatment/ Prevention:
If you feel you may have a possible problem with your appendix then your doctor will first rule out certain scenarios that imitate this condition; kidney stones are one such scenario. Blood tests can eliminate other possibilities and your physician will look for a high white cell count, indicative of a bad infection in the body.There are two surgical methods that are used for this purpose. One is the traditional method known as appendectomy, where a large incision is made on the abdomen to remove the appendix, and the other is laparoscopic surgery, where three or four small incisions are made for the same purpose.
Surgery is the only treatment for appendicitis.Surgery to remove the appendix, which you can do just fine without, will be performed if it is appendicitis and if the appendix bursts the abdominal cavity will be cleaned out as thoroughly as possible and you will receive IV antibiotics and a stay in the hospital until you recover.Appendix burst surgery is more complicated that most imagine. In case of a burst appendix, an appendiceal abscess is usually formed surrounding the appendix which is full of pus. The formation of this pus-filled mass is a natural mechanism of the body to prevent further spread of the infection. Before the surgery, this pus has to be drained out. For this the exact location of the abscess is identified with the help of CT scan. Then a drainage tube is place in the abscess through the abdominal wall to empty the pus from the belly.
Burst appendix is a very serious health condition which you cannot afford to ignore. If you find that any of your near and dear ones is experiencing the burst appendix symptoms, then it is essential that the person should be given emergency medical care. Quick diagnosis and treatment of appendix burst can prevent the patient from a severe infection called peritonitis, which can lead to death of the patient.
