ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION:

Morbidity and mortality is more common in the geriatric appendicitis which is constituting 10% of all appendicitis cases. In this study, our aim was to examine the factors that affected the development of morbidity and mortality in geriatric patients with appendicitis.

METHODS:

Datas of 57 patients who were operated with diagnosis of acute appendicitis between January 2011 and December 2013 were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS:

Thirty (52.6%) of the patients were female, 27 (47.4%) of them were male and the mean age was 69.00 ± 6.64 years. The mean duration time before admission was 1.96 ± 0.90 days. Mc Burney incision was used in 43 (75.5%) patients, whreas paramedian incision in 10 (17.5%) and median incision in 4 (7%). The mean length of stay in hospital was 4.4 ± 1.97 days. Hospital admission time seemed to be longer and rates of perforated appendix seemed to be higher in morbidity positive group. The advanced age and the long admission time seemed to be the risk factors affecting the mortality.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION:

Early admission of the geriatric patients with abdominal pain to hospital and diagnosing the appendicitis before perforation are the most important factors on decreasing morbidity and mortality, and may contribute to the reduction of morbidity in surgical treatment.