Determination of descriptive characteristics of children with apendectomy surgery and related factors

Abstract

With morbidity and various symptoms; appendicitis is the most frequently seen health problem among the children and requires an emergent surgical intervention. Although it is estimated that appendicitis develops among 1% of the population under 15 years; it is stated that the most important factor that causes appendicitis is obstruction of lumen. The current study was cross-sectionally and descriptively undertaken in order to identify the descriptive characteristics of the children who had appendectomy surgery and the related factors.The population of the study was composed of the children aged 4-18 years who were hospitalized due to appendicitis at Bağcılar Training and Research Hospital Pediatric Surgery Service between 2012 and 2014. The sample of the population was consisted of a total of 64 children who accepted to participate in the study and stayed at the hospital during research period. The data were gathered using a questionnaire form designed by the researchers.37.5% of the participant children were girls and 62.5% of the participant children were boys; mean age was 11.48±3.48 years. Most of the mothers (60.9%) and fathers (60.9%) had primary school degree. 43.8% of the families had appendectomy previously, 95.3% did not have any chronic diseases. 25% of the children had a perforated appendix and most of them presented such symptoms as pain (70.3%), nausea * ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Birsen Bilgen Sivri, Mevlana University Health Services High School, Konya 42003, Turkey. E-mail address: bbsivri@mevlana.edu.tr , oneyou2009@gmail.com / Tel.: +90-444-42 43-1397 Sivri, B., B., Balcı, S., Erkut, Z., Metres, O., & Girgin, A., B. (2016). Determination of descriptive characteristics of children with apendectomy surgery and related factors, Global Journal on Advances in Pure & Applied Sciences. [Online]. 07, pp 183-189. Available from: www.propaas.eu 184 (70.3%), lack of appetite (78.1%), vomiting(67.2%), fever (39.1%). 38% of the mothers performed a practice (hotcompress, cold-compress, giving massages to abdomen, giving pain killers, hot teas of mint leaves and lemon, wrapping the abdomen, etc.) before the children were taken to hospitals. Additionally; it was found out that the children swallowed seeds of the fruits (29.3%), did not peel the fruits (61.5%), swallowed chewing gums (35.4%) and ate legumes and ate bones without chewing (16.9%).