Background
Abscess after appendectomy for perforated appendicitis is the most common complication.
We have completed three prospective trials and are conducting a fourth in which the
included patients had either a hole in the appendix or a fecalith in the abdomen identified
at the time of operation. The abscess rate in each of these trials was 20%. Multiple
publications have focused on prevention and management of this postoperative complication
but the total impact of an abscess on the hospital course has not been well documented.
Therefore, we reviewed our experience with patients who developed a postoperative
abscess to evaluate the total care received compared with those who recovered uneventfully.
Methods
Data from patients with abscess who have been enrolled in our prospective trials from
April 2005 to December 2009 were utilized. Patients who recovered without complications
in the most recent trial served as a comparison group, as this protocol offers the
minimal length of stay without a predetermined length of stay. Data comparison included
patient demographics, admission lab values, hospital length of stay, and hospital
charges.
Results
There were 63 patients with a postoperative abscess and 61 patients without an abscess
identified. Patients with an abscess were older (11.0 versus 9.7 y, P = 0.04) and had a higher mean body mass index (22.4 versus 19.5, P = 0.03). Total hospital length of stay was significantly longer in the abscess group
(11.6 d versus 5.1 d, P ≤ 0.001). Total hospital charges doubled for patients who developed an abscess ($82,000
versus $40,000 P < 0.001).
Conclusion
A postoperative abscess after appendectomy for perforated appendicitis translates
into an average of an extra week in hospital care with double the total hospital cost.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 14, 2011
Received:
January 4,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
