Appendicitis

The appendix or appendix is ​​a pouch in the large intestine located in the lower right abdomen, about the size of the little finger and connected to the large intestine.
Appendicitis can become infected when there are bacteria that multiply, causing the appendix to become inflamed, swollen to pus, which is known as appendicitis / inflammation of the appendix.
Appendicitis is divided into 2 types, namely acute appendicitis and chronic appendicitis. Chronic appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed for more than 14 days.
Factors suspected of causing appendicitis include: obstruction of the door of the appendix cavity, thickening / swelling of the appendix wall tissue due to infection in other parts of the body, feces / parasite growth, abdominal injuries, medical conditions such as tumors in the stomach. However, the main cause of appendicitis is not known with certainty.

Appendicitis signs and symptoms:
Pain area: abdominal area, lower right abdomen or middle abdomen
Whole body: fever, loss of appetite, malaise or chills
Gastrointestinal: diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
Also common: intermittent stomachache

Diagnosis of appendicitis:
Blood tests, to check the number of white blood cells that indicate infection
Urine test, to rule out urinary tract infections and kidney stones
Ultrasound and CT Scan, to confirm abdominal pain caused by appendicitis.
Pregnancy test in women of childbearing age, to ensure the pain is not caused by an ectopic pregnancy.
The main treatment for appendicitis is the surgical removal of the appendix, also known as an appendectomy. However, when the appendix has ruptured/perforated and the infection has spread outside the appendix, a laparotomy is performed, by opening the abdominal cavity.
Immediately consult a doctor if you experience abdominal pain that slowly gets worse and spreads to the entire abdominal area. This condition can be a sign that the appendix has ruptured and resulted in an infection of the abdominal cavity or peritonitis. In women, the symptoms of appendicitis are sometimes similar to menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) and an interrupted ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb).

Komplikasi Penyakit Usus Buntu

Penyakit usus buntu yang tidak diobati dapat menimbulkan komplikasi yang membahayakan, seperti:

• Abses

Abses adalah kantong berisi nanah, komplikasi ini muncul sebagai usaha alami tubuh untuk megatasi infeksi pada usus buntu.  Penangannannya dilakukan dengan penyedotan nanah dari abses atau dengan antibiotik.

• Peritonitis

Peritonitis adalah infeksi pada lapisan dalam perut atau peritoneum. Peritonitis ini bisa terjadi ketika usus buntu pecah dan infeksi menyebar hingga ke seluruh rongga perut. Penanganan peritonitis dengan tindakan bedah terbuka secepatnya, untuk mengangkat usus buntu dan membersihkan rongga perut. Peritonitis ditandai dengan nyeri seluruh perut yang hebat dan terus menerus, demam, dan peningkatan detak jantung.