Acute Appendicitis explained, including classic and atypical appendicitis symptoms, the pathophysiology of appendicitis, as well as causes, diagnosis (including scores like the Alvarado score) and treatment.

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Timestamps:
0:00 What is Appendicitis?
0:32 Appendicitis Pathophysiology
2:00 Causes of Appendicitis
2:59 Appendicitis Symptoms & Signs 
5:29 Appendicitis Diagnosis
8:44 Appendicitis Treatment / Appendectomy 

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Please remember this podcast and all content from Rhesus Medicine is meant for educational purposes only and should not be used as a guide to diagnose or to treat. Please consult a healthcare professional for medical advice. 

References

1. BMJ Best Practice (2026) Acute appendicitis. Available at: https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/3000094
2. Di Saverio, S., Podda, M., De Simone, B., et al. (2020) 'Diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis: 2020 update of the WSES Jerusalem guidelines', World Journal of Emergency Surgery, 15(1), p.27. Available at: https://wjes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13017-020-00306-3
3. Moris, D., Paulson, E.K. and Pappas, T.N. (2021) 'Diagnosis and management of acute appendicitis in adults: a review', JAMA, 326(22), pp.2299-2311. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34905026
4. MSD Manual (2024) Appendicitis. Available at: https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/acute-abdomen-and-surgical-gastroenterology/appendicitis
5. StatPearls Publishing (2024) Appendicitis. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493193/
6. Bhangu, A., Søreide, K., Di Saverio, S., Assarsson, J.H. and Drake, F.T. (2015) 'Acute appendicitis: modern understanding of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management', The Lancet, 386(10000), pp.1278-1287. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26460662
7. Flum, D.R., Davidson, G.H., Monsell, S.E., et al. (2020) 'A randomized trial comparing antibiotics with appendectomy for appendicitis', New England Journal of Medicine, 383(20), pp.1907-1919. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33017106
8. Addiss, D.G., Shaffer, N., Fowler, B.S. and Tauxe, R.V. (1990) 'The epidemiology of appendicitis and appendectomy in the United States', American Journal of Epidemiology, 132(5), pp.910-925. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2239906