Abstract
Background & Objectives: Empirical antibiotics are being administered pre and post-operatively in acute appendicitis. The routine, widespread indiscriminate and prolonged antibiotic course has become an ailment in itself, as it gives rise to resistant strains of organisms. The present study was conducted in a tertiary care center, to formulate a plan for the rational use of antibiotics after appendectomy, so effective treatment could be given to those at high risk of developing septic complications.
Methods: This is a prospective study done in General Surgery department at a Tertiary Care Centre from September 2014 to December 2016. 360 cases of appendectomy were studied in this study. Out of which 72 cases belonged to interval appendectomy group, 168 acute appendicitis and 120 cases belonged to the group appendicitis with complications like perforation and gangrene. Patients undergoing interval appendectomy received single dose of antibiotics. Patients having acute appendicitis (uncomplicated) received three doses of antibiotic prophylaxis and patients having complications like perforation and gangrene received antibiotic for 5 days. Post-operative complications like wound infection, wound gaping, etc. were recorded.
Results: The study included 360 patients out of which there were 169 males (65%) and 91 (35%) females with a M: F ratio of 1.86:1. The incidence of wound infection in interval appendectomy, uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis was found to be 6.94%, 8.93% and 13.33% respectively. Incidence of post-operative complications was found to be highest in cases with complicated appendicitis (16.7%) followed by uncomplicated appendicitis (12.50%). Least postoperative complications were seen in patients who had undergone interval appendectomy (6.95%). The difference in white blood cell count, timing of prophylactic antibiotic before surgery, operation time and duration of hospital stay were found to be statistically significantly different in these groups. Statistical analysis was done using SSPE 17.0 software. P value less than 0.05 was taken as statistically significant.
Conclusion: In patients with appendicitis the rational use of antibiotics will reduce the incidence of antibiotic resistance and treatment cost without increasing post-operative complications.
Keywords: Acute appendicitis, appendectomy, perforated appendix, Antibiotics resistance.
References
- Andersson RE: Appendicitis: Epidemio-logy and diagnosis. Doctoral Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Sweden, 1998.
- O’Connel PR. The vermiform appendix In: Williams NS, Bulstrode CJK, O’Connell PR, eds. Bailey and Love’s Short Practice of Surgery. 26th ed. Boca Raton, FL:CRC Press; 2013:1199-1209.
- Richmond B. The Appendix. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 20th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2017:1296-1303.
- Lamont P. Surgical Infection. In: Williams NS, Bulstrode CJK, O’Connell PR, eds. Bailey and Love’s Short Practice of Surgery. 26th ed. Boca Raton, FL:CRC Press; 2013:59-62.
- Barie PS. Surgical Infections and Antibiotic Use. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 20th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier; 2017:245-7.
- ASHP Therapeutic Guidelines on Antimicrobial Prophylaxis in Surgery. American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 1999;56(18):1839-88.
- Daskalakis K, Juhlin C, Pahlman L. The use of pre-or postoperative antibiotics in surgery for appendicitis: a systematic review. Scandinavian Journal Surg. 2013;103(1):14-20.
- Mangram AJ, Horan TC, Pearson ML, Silver LC, Jarvis WR. Guideline for prevention of surgical site infection, 1999. Hospital infection control practices advisory committee. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol.1999;20(4):250-78.
- Andersson RE, Petzold MG: Nonsurgical treatment of appendiceal abscess or phlegmon: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Surg 2007;246 (5):741–748.
- Ventola CL. The Antibiotic Resistance Crisis: Part 1: Causes and Threats. Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2015;40(4):277-283.
- Chabok A, Tarnberg M, Smedh K et al: Prevalence of fecal carriage of antibiotic resistant bacteria in patients with acute surgical abdominal infections. Scand J Gastroenterology 2010;45(10):1203–1210.
- Shaikh S, Fatima J, Shakil S, Rizvi SMD, Kamal MA. Antibiotic resistance and extended spectrum beta-lactamases: Types, epidemiology and treatment. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 2015;22 (1):90-101.
- Busuttil RW, Davidson RK, Fine M, Tompkins RK. Effect of prophylactic antibiotics in acute nonperforated appendicitis: a prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical study. Annals of Surgery. 1981;194(4):502-509.
- Fine M, Busuttil RW. Acute appendicitis: efficacy of prophylactic preoperative antibiotics in the reduction of septic morbidity. Am J Surg. 1978 Feb;135(2): 210–212.
- Oguntola AS, Adeoti ML, Oyemolade TA. Appendicitis: Trends in incidence, age, sex, and seasonal variations in South-Western Nigeria. Ann Afr Med. 2010 Oct-Dec;9(4):213-7.
- Al-Omran M, Mamdani MM, McLeod R. Epidemiologic features of acute appendici-tis in Ontario, Canada. Canadian Journal of Surgery. 2003;46(4):263-268.
- Al-gaithy Zuhoor K. Clinical value of total white blood cells and neutrophil counts in patients with suspected appendicitis: retrospective study. World Journal of Emergency Surgery : WJES. 2012;7:32.
- Pinto DJ, Sanderson PJ. Rational use of antibiotic therapy after appendicectomy. British Medical Journal. 1980;280(6210): 275-277.
- David IB, Buck JR, Filler RM. Rational use of antibiotics for perforated appendicitis in childhood. J Pediatr Surg. 1982 Oct;17(5):494-500.
- Xu S, Yu X, Li Y, et al. Analysis of antibiotics selection in patients undergoing appendectomy in a Chinese tertiary care hospital. SpringerPlus. 2016;5(1):1839.
Corresponding Author
Dr Ritesh S. Satardey
107, Janki Nagar, Nagpur-34, India