Acute appendicitis in children

In newborn babies, acute appendicitis is rare. According to statistics, the frequency of this disease grows after 2 years. The peak of this disease is 15-19 years. Acute appendicitis is a nonspecific inflammation of the cecum, or rather, of the vermiform appendage. This appendicitis in children manifests itself depending on the characteristic changes in the process, on its location, on the complications that have joined, on the age of the child.

The very first symptom of this disease is the occurrence in the child of a dull sudden pain in the navel or in the upper half of the abdomen. This pain does not have a clear localization. After a certain time the pain can move to the right iliac region, which indicates that the inflammation has increased and captures all layers of the wall of the appendix.

The localization of pain depends on how the process is located. When the position of this process is high, the pain can be felt in the region of the right hypochondrium. At its typical position, the child feels pain in the iliac region, with a retrocostal position - in the lumbar region or on the side of the abdomen, at the pelvic position the pain is localized above the pubis.

At the beginning of this disease, the child's tongue is wet, a white coating is often observed, dry mouth gradually appears. Also in children, often acute appendicitis is accompanied by vomiting. In some cases, if the process is located next to the rectum or between the loops of the small intestine, and inflammation affects the intestinal wall, the baby may have diarrhea. The child's body temperature rises significantly.

In young children, acute appendicitis develops rapidly and has its own specific characteristics. This rapid development of the inflammatory process and its progression in the process, the prevalence of common symptoms over the local, the absence of process delimitation, the immediate development of peritonitis.

The disease begins with the anxiety of the baby, his refusal to eat. Body temperature reaches 38-40 degrees. The child becomes inactive. Local symptoms of the disease are difficult to detect in small children, because of their anxiety the abdominal wall is actively straining. You can identify acute appendicitis while sleeping a child, sometimes with a drug.

How children are diagnosed with acute appendicitis

No doubt, it is easier to diagnose acute appendicitis, when a child can explain where it hurts, it is more difficult if the baby can not talk yet. In order to recognize acute appendicitis in a child, the following actions are performed. It must be placed on the back or on the right side. When you change the position of the body, when you cough and laugh, there are sharp pain intensifications. This can be recognized by the reaction of the baby. After that, the stomach is examined. When he is examined during breathing, a lag in the lower right quadrant of the abdominal wall may be observed. When palpation is detected, muscle tension and severe pain in the right ileal region. The child's pain is worse, if you put it on your left side, especially if you feel your belly with your fingers. Also, pain can be exacerbated by raising the right leg of the baby. These symptoms should be checked very carefully, so as not to cause a rupture of the process.

In such cases, it is not difficult to determine the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. But sometimes complicate the diagnosis of appendicitis in children of the features of the course of the inflammatory process.

What parents need to know

If the first symptoms of acute appendicitis occur, the baby should be put in bed and immediately called an ambulance. You can not put a heating pad on the baby's tummy - it increases the process of inflammation, which can be dangerous. Do not give the baby medicine, because their action can change the clinical picture and the diagnosis will be very difficult to put. You can not feed a child and drink, as, most likely, you will need an operation. Treatment of acute appendicitis is only prompt. If the child has signs of acute appendicitis, call an ambulance, and as soon as possible.