Appendicitis

Question 1

What is acute abdomen

Answer 1

Represents rapid onset of severe symptoms that indicate potentially life threatening intraabdominal pathology that requires urgent surgical intervention

Question 2

Complications of abdominal bleeding

Answer 2

Hypovolaemic shock

• Hypotension
• Tachycardia
• Pale and clammy
• Cool to touch

Question 3

Presentation of peritonitis

Answer 3

Patients lie completely still
Tachycardia and potential hypotension/pyrexia
-rebound -tenderness\Involuntary guarding
-Reduced or absent bowel sounds

Question 4

Presentation of ischaemic bowel

Answer 4

Diffuse and constant pain reported
Exam may be unremarkable
Acidaemia with raised lactate on blood gases

Question 5

What is colic abdominal pain

Answer 5

Pain that crescendos to become very severe and then goes away completely

Question 6

Initial management of acute abdomen

Answer 6

A--> E approach
-A- Oxygen or airway support?
b- Fluids? Antibiotics? Blood?
C- analgesia? hypoglycaemic?
D- Start looking for cause

Question 7

What can a perforated appendix lead to

Answer 7

ABscess
Peritonitis
Sepsis

Question 8

Presentation of appendicitis

Answer 8

Nausea
anorexia
Vomiting, urinary symptoms or loose stools
Pain in RIF

Question 9

Examination findings of appendicitis

Answer 9

Pyrexia

Tenderness at McBurney’s point

Question 10

Blood gas results for ischaemic bowel

Answer 10

Acidaemia with raised lactate