Presentation and Outcomes of Acute Appendicitis During COVID Pandemic (AA)

Presentation and Outcomes of Acute Appendicitis During COVID Pandemic: Lessons Learned From the Middle East (Multicenter Study)

Acute appendicitis (AA) is a frequent cause of acute abdominal pain in emergency rooms around the world [1]. The lifetime risk of developing AA is estimated to be about 8% [1-3]. The severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has raised difficult situations for healthcare systems and organizations around the world, with direct and indirect implications for patient care delivery. COVID-19 causes a wide range of clinical symptoms, including fever, dry cough, myalgia, and exhaustion, with pulmonary involvement in many cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute appendicitis and surgical care is unknown due to a lack of evidence. To see how appendicitis care has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study compares clinical presentation, investigative modalities, treatment procedures, and outcomes before and after the pandemic.

Acute appendicitis (AA) is a frequent cause of acute abdominal pain in emergency rooms around the world [1]. The lifetime risk of developing AA is estimated to be about 8% [1-3]. The SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has raised difficult situations for healthcare systems and organizations around the world, with direct and indirect implications for patient care delivery. COVID-19 causes a wide range of clinical symptoms, including fever, dry cough, myalgia, and exhaustion, with pulmonary involvement in many cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute appendicitis and surgical care is unknown due to a lack of evidence. To see how appendicitis care has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study compares clinical presentation, investigative modalities, treatment procedures, and outcomes before and after the pandemic. This is a multicenter prospective cohort study that was conducted for patients presented with Acute Appendicitis (AA).

Two groups of patients were created. Patients in group I (G1) had AA prior to the era of COVID, while patients in group II (G2) had AA during COVID

the management strategy used, which included conservative or surgical management (open or laparoscopic).

Inclusion Criteria: patients with acute appendicitis Exclusion Criteria: patients with acute appendicitis less than 12 years malignant appendix

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