Early discharge from hospital after open appendicectomy

✍ Scribed by S. Ramesh; Mr R. B. Galland

• Book ID: 101747417
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 226 KB
• Volume: 80
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-1323
• DOI: 10.1002/bjs.1800800944

✦ Synopsis

A prospective study of 200 consecutive open emergency appendicectomies

)vas carried out. All patients were informed bejore operation that they would be discharged the following day if possible. The operation was performed through a standard muscle-splitting incision. A t the end of the operation the wound u.as infiltrated with hupivacaine and a diclofenac suppository ,vas given. There Mwe 29 normal, 129 acutely inflamed, six gangrenous and 36 perforated appendices. In all, 147 patients ( 73.5' per. cent) kvere discharged home &tithin 24 h and revietved 2 weeks later. Twelve patients had seen their general practitioner, mainly f o r ic3oundproblems (eight) or pain (tivo). Two others required readmission. Thirty-four patients (23.1 per cent) required no postoperative analgesia; 104 ( 70.7 per cent) required paracetamol or co-proxaniol f o r < 3 days and nine (6.1 per cent) for > 3 davs. N o patient had a problem directly related to kzrlj) discharge j i o m hospital. Fiftj-three patients (26.5' per cent) w'ere not discharged home early due to peritonitis ( 3 6 ) , social reasons (seven), nausea (seven), associated caecal volvulus (one)