Preoperative use of analgesia in appendicitis
Aram, F.O.
Saudi Medical Journal 29(6): 859-862
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0379-5284 PMID: 18521465 Document Number: 627887
To determine the influence of diclofenac sodium (DS) on masking the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. A prospective, experimental study was carried out in Ibn Sinna General Hospital, Mukalla, Hadramout Governorate, Yemen from November 2006 to March 2007. The data were collected using a well designed questionnaire, with observation during the period of admission, prior to the operation. This study includes 80 patients (40 as cases, and 40 as controls), and the results revealed that most of the symptoms (fever, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting), and signs (tenderness, obturator and psoas signs, local guarding, and rigidity), were not hidden by DS (p>0.05), while other symptoms (pain), and signs (rebound tenderness, Rovsing's, and pointing) had been hindered by the use of DS. The most common presenting symptom in the placebo and DS group was pain (100%), which showed a marked decrease in severity in those who received DS as analgesia (72.2%). Some of the symptoms, and signs of acute appendicitis were masked by the use of analgesia, while others were not. In summary, DS did not influence the diagnosis or management of acute appendicitis.