Appendicitis causes death?

Question

A 21 year old man with severe appendicitis did not seek treatment in time and died a week after his abdominal pain and fever began. Explain why appendicitis can quickly lead to death.

Answer 1

Appendicitis (or epityphlitis) is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. While mild cases may resolve without treatment, most require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly due to peritonitis and shock.

The most serious complication of appendicitis is an infection of the lining of your abdominal cavity (peritonitis). This may occur if your appendix ruptures (perforates) and the contents of your intestines and infectious organisms invade the peritoneal cavity. When this happens, you may suddenly feel better. But soon after, your entire abdomen may become distended with gas and fluid and will likely feel tight, hard and tender to the touch. You'll also have pain throughout your abdomen, but may not have the severe, localized pain of appendicitis. In addition, you may not be able to pass gas or have a bowel movement because of the inflammation. Other signs and symptoms may include a fever, thirst and a low urine output.

Peritonitis is a medical emergency. If you develop signs of this abdominal infection, you need to go to an emergency room immediately. Even with prompt treatment, peritonitis can be extremely serious and can lead to death.

Answer 2

The appendix is a rarely used portion of the intestinal tract, but it does store large amounts to bacteria. When the appendix is infected or inflammed (appendicitis) it causes large amounts of blood to rush to the area. This causes the appendix to swell. The bowels slow down and cause a back up of waste material.

When the appendix ruptures, it spills the waste material (crap) into your abdominal cavity as well as lots of bacteria, and blood. The bowels stop all together, the bleeding continues and infact some types of bacteria actually prevent blood clots from forming which decreases the clotting time and increase the chances of bleeding to death. The bacteria may enter the blood stream at several different sites in the abdominal cavitiy and cause a condition known as sepsis. Sepsis can cause your blood pressure to drop considerably. By this time even if the individual seeks medical treatment, it really is too late. Basically all efforts will be fruitless.

Great question. I had to bring up all my pathophysiology for that one.

Answer 3

If you think of a very small balloon that is pumped to the bursting point...that is similar to the appendix. When it ruptures, it allows bacteria from the intestines to flow around the abdominal cavity and begins infection throughout the peritoneum (the belly). The bacteria and the stomach and intestinal liquids contain enzymes that begin to attack the defenseless intestines (they are protected internally but not much externally) and the condition becomes critical. If we have such a patient, we flush the peritoneum many times with sterile saline, remove the ruptured appendix, and begin heavy antibiotic treatment. We follow the idea of serial dilution, where if I flush one time, I reduce the bacteria by half, a second time then reduces the bacteria to 1/4th etc. This is an acute emergency and requires prompt treatment.

Answer 4

Appendicitis is inflammation of your appendix. That means that bacteria or some other junk got in the man's appendix, and it started swelling, turning red, etc. If he didn't get it removed quick enough, his appendix would have exploded, spreading the bacteria all into his stomach cavity...everywhere. So basically, the inflammed appendix and the bacteria infected his whole entire stomach cavity, and without antibiotics or anything, he died.

Answer 5

It's actually a bacterial infection of the abdominal cavity and/or any organs it comes in contact with. Because the main cause of a ruptured appendix is infection, once the membranes are compromised, the bacteria have much more area to infect.

Answer 6

Because the appendix will burst if left untreated, and whatever's in it will get into the blood stream and cause blood poisoning. Also, just having an organ burst inside you and not take care of it is usually a problem ;o)