Epidemiological and Clinical Profiles of Cases of Appendicitis Managed At a Tertiary Hospital in Nepal

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Appendicitis is worldwide the most common surgical emergency that affects both genders and all ages. Methods: This study aimed to assess the epidemiology and clinical profiles of cases of appendicitis in Nepal and compare it with the existing literature. A cross-sectional descriptive study was done on 756 patients attending Dhulikhel hospital a tertiary health care center in Dhulikhel Nepal. All the patients clinically diagnosed with appendicitis were included in this study. The required information was coded, and entered in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analysis was done using SPSS version 22.  The epidemiological and clinical findings were analyzed. Results: Mean age of patients was 29.13 ± 16 years. Out of 756 patients, 458 (60.9 %) of patients were male and 298 (39.4%) were females. The majority 42.7% of patients were from Brahmin/Chhetri ethnicity. The most common procedure for the management of appendicitis was laparoscopic appendectomy (61.24%) followed by Open appendectomy (30.6%). The mean duration of postoperative hospital stay was highest among conservative (5.2 days) and lowest among laparoscopic appendectomies (2.2 days). Most of the cases were acute inflammation (47.8%). Conclusion: Appendicitis is more common among males than females, and between 20- 30 yrs of age. The most common surgical procedure was laparoscopic appendectomy, and it has been recorded those minimum days of postoperative hospital stay was also found among laparoscopic appendectomy. Most cases are acute inflammation.