Even in our modern times, when medicine has already made significant progress, something is still obscured. For example, the role of the appendix in the human body is not clear, but many people have experienced inflammation of this appendix, because this is one of the most common ailments. And not only adults suffer. Appendicitis in children (regardless of age) is also a common phenomenon.
As a rule, the treatment is urgent and comes down to surgery, since it is not often possible to detect inflammation of the appendix in time, as one would like. And in relation to children, the development of appendicitis is faster, and often the complications are more severe. Therefore, the child's complaints of pain in the abdomen should not be ignored.
The role of appendix in our body
The appendix, or appendage of the cecum, is the appendix. It is located on the right side of the abdomen and usually takes a downward position. But in some people, it is located behind the cecum (ascending position), near the white line of the abdomen (medial position), or is located near the peritoneum (lateral position). The dimensions of the process depend on individual characteristics:
- length - 50-100 mm;
- diameter - no more than 10 mm.
Many people ask how important the role of the appendix in our body is. However, some parents are interested in a much more important question: can there be appendicitis in a child?
Despite the fact that the appendix is considered to be a rudimentary organ, it cannot be called completely useless. Our body is a harmonious system in which each organ interacts harmoniously with other components. Many scientists from different countries tried to understand exactly what role this appendage plays. In some places, there was a practice to remove the process in newborns so that there was no pathology in the future. However, the consequences of such a measure are disappointing: children grew up with a noticeable lag in mental and physical development, in contrast to their peers.
Yes, the appendix is part of the gastrointestinal tract, but it is not involved in digestion. Nevertheless, it has the most important functions, since the process contains lymphatic tissue, which is important for human immunity. As soon as infections get into the digestive system, an important process is the first to cause a blow to itself. However, if the immune system is weakened, then the symptoms of appendicitis in children will not be long in coming.
In addition, the appendage acts as a storehouse of bacteria, with the help of which the correct intestinal microflora is created. In this regard, in those people who underwent surgery to remove the process, the digestive tract (in case of an infectious attack) recovers more slowly. In addition, the appendix promotes the secretion of sialic acid and the production of lipase, amylase and serotonin. In other words, this vermiform appendix supports the human immunity and helps to normalize digestion.
Features of appendicitis in children
Everything is clear with the appendix, but what does appendicitis mean? This one-root word denotes the course of the inflammatory reaction of this process. The disease may be chronic, but in most cases it takes an acute form. Adults perfectly understand the whole situation if there is a suspicion of inflammation of the appendix, while the child may be scared. In addition, almost all children are afraid of surgery, if such a need exists. For this reason, they try to hide the very fact of a rather dangerous disease, saying that they are doing well. Although in reality this is far from the case.
Therefore, you do not need to crush the child and scare him with different stories, so as not to scare. Parents need to respond in time to the complaints of their child in order to exclude all kinds of complications. But how to determine appendicitis in a child, that this is a disease, and not an inflammation of tricks? This will be discussed later.
Symptoms of pathology
Depending on age, the signs of appendicitis in each child are different. According to statistics, children from 10 to 12 years old are at risk. Breasts are practically not affected by this disease, babies no older than five years of age quite rarely suffer from such an ailment. As medical practice shows, every fifth child who develops appendicitis is 6-7 years old. But most of all, school-age children suffer, in most cases these are children from 7 to 14 years old. Consider the signs of inflammation of the appendix in babies of different ages.
Kids 5 years old
By virtue of precisely this age, the child still cannot explain in an accessible language for understanding exactly where the pain is, how it feels, and so on. Therefore, parents need to be especially careful and monitor his behavior. Usually he becomes restless, constantly lays on his right side, can curl up and does his best to save the place where it hurts. If necessary, change his position, he cries and screams.
You can find out the presence of appendicitis in a child of 5 years by a number of symptoms:
- weakness (expressed in the absence of interest, the child is constantly lying, refuses to play);
- feeling of thirst;
- the child is overcome by anxiety;
- lack of appetite;
- periodically comes nausea and vomiting;
- loose stools, however, in the presence of inflammation, constipation is observed;
- children shiver and fever.
As for body temperature, it can reach 37.5-38 ° C, but in severe cases rises to 39 ° C. Since children's appendicitis is developing rapidly, the expense goes to the clock. Therefore, do not hesitate - you need to immediately call an ambulance.
Children 7-10 years old
At the age of seven, the symptoms of the disease are the same as in adults. It all starts, as a rule, with abdominal pain, and it gives to the right side, and with a sharp click on this area it becomes acute. Unfortunately, 30% of all cases of childhood appendicitis are a manifestation of typical symptoms, while the remaining 70 are atypical symptoms. In other words, the appendage is located differently, as a result of which appendicitis in children of 7 years of age manifests itself in pain in different places:
- lower abdomen;
- back;
- rectal area;
- stomach area.
The following symptoms may be characteristic signs:
- nausea accompanying vomiting (may be single or multiple);
- feeling of chills;
- temperature rise;
- decreased appetite;
- dry and coated tongue.
As for the stool, it often remains normal, but in some cases it can be constipated, but diarrhea is a rare occurrence. In the presence of one of the above symptoms, you must immediately call a doctor, which is no more than 2-3 hours. Otherwise, complications can begin and the rupture of the appendix is not excluded. If signs are observed in the girl, it is necessary to find out when she had her last menstruation before calling the doctor, because the pain is the same in the period before menstruation.
What should not be done
So that appendicitis in children of 10 years (or younger) does not lead to serious complications, it is important for parents to know what to do under no circumstances. In particular, this applies to the following:
- Do an enema or give laxatives. This can provoke the spread of infection or rupture of the appendix.
- You can not warm the sore spot. Heat further exacerbates the situation, since it helps to accelerate the inflammatory process. The same goes for different bathtubs.
- Give some herbal infusion or feed the baby. The entry of food into the intestine will increase pressure on the inflamed process, which is why it can also burst.
Under no pretext is it highly recommended that you self-medicate, otherwise you can only do harm. The only thing that can be done while the doctor’s arrival is expected is to put a wet towel dampened in cold water on the sore spot. This will slightly reduce pain.
Diagnosis of the disease
Identifying the unequivocal symptoms of appendicitis in children is quite difficult, since in most diseases of the gastrointestinal tract they are similar to each other. In addition, children, especially at a young age, are not yet able to understand exactly where the pain is localized and determine its nature. For this reason, feeling the abdomen will give far more answers regarding pain.
A doctor should examine the child, since only he can confirm the alleged diagnosis, for which palpation is done at home. It is done with four fingers tightly shifted to each other. Moreover, pressures are made from the right side just below the navel, then go to the upper part of the abdomen between the ribs, finish the manipulations on the left side, also below the navel. With appendicitis, the child will feel acute pain in the right side. To establish an accurate diagnosis, the child must be taken to the hospital. Here he has to pass some necessary tests. They will show the presence of an inflammatory process and the severity of the pathology.
If, judging by the symptoms, appendicitis in children proceeds in a complex form, additional diagnostic methods are used. First, the surgeon examines the child, then an abdominal ultrasound is required. The study will assess the state of the appendix and identify the presence of its inflammation.
Forms of manifestation of pathology
Like any disease, appendicitis (even in children) can occur in various forms:
- Catarrhal is a simple form of appendicitis, which proceeds calmly and does not cause complications that are dangerous to the life of the child. The inflammatory process affects only the wall of the cecum, which provokes the appearance of the first characteristic signs. With a timely operation, the child is cured, and nothing more threatens him.
- Phlegmonous - this pathology should already cause concern: the surface of the appendix begins to become covered with purulent plaque, and mucus along with pus enters the body. In this case, thrombosis of the blood vessels that feed the cecum is not excluded.
- Gangrenous is an even more dangerous stage of appendicitis in children. Appears due to vascular thrombosis of the vestigial organ. As a result, along the course of inflammation of the intestinal wall begin to die. In turn, this threatens a breakthrough of the intestinal section and the release of all its contents into the abdominal cavity, which provokes peritonitis and shock. The appendix itself has a dark green hue and a fetid odor. The condition of the child is very serious. An urgent operation is needed, otherwise there may be the most sad consequences.
- Perforated - this form is unfavorable for both children and adults. In this case, we are talking about a breakthrough of the inflamed process, when its contents are poured into the abdominal cavity.
- Infiltration - the inflammatory process progresses, the infiltrate increases, which may be a sign of acute peritonitis.
Now it should be clear to all parents that it is impossible to ignore the symptoms of appendicitis in children of 7 years old (and not only), otherwise everything will end very badly.
What are the causes of the disease
Any of us, regardless of age, is not immune to appendicitis. There are a number of factors that, in fact, can provoke this disease:
- Improper nutrition. A child consumes too much carbohydrates, sugar and harmful foods, but his body receives very little fiber.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, both in acute and chronic stages.
- Intestinal dysbacteriosis by itself is the cause of infection in the child’s body, and there it is a stone's throw away from appendicitis.
- Location and other individual characteristics of the appendix.
- In quite rare cases, a foreign object can enter the appendix.
But heredity is clearly nothing to do with it. In addition, various viral or infectious diseases lead to a weakening of immunity.
As a result, the child’s body becomes vulnerable: infection costs nothing to freely penetrate into the abdominal cavity, and from there straight to the vermiform appendix.
Treatment features
If the vestigial organ becomes inflamed, then the only treatment is an operation to remove appendicitis in children. There can be no talk of any medications; they are used only after a surgical procedure. And the sooner the parents go to the doctor for help, the greater the likelihood that the child will avoid serious complications.
The media has information according to which patients were cured of appendicitis with antibiotics. That's only relevant for a certain form of the disease and applies only to adults. Unfortunately, in relation to children, conservative therapy is excluded due to the impossibility of its implementation. And losing time is very expensive.
Surgery
Depending on the course of the disease, there are currently several methods of surgical intervention:
- Laparoscopy is a more gentle and safer procedure, because instead of a large incision, several small punctures are made. The risk of infection is significantly reduced, and the recovery of the child's body is much faster.
- Laparotomy - performed in severe cases, when children have acute appendicitis. The abdominal cavity is opened, after which the inflamed appendix is excised. If the organ is torn, the cavity is cleaned of pus and mucus.
- Transluminal surgery is the safest procedure in which incisions are completely eliminated. Only carried out extremely rarely.
If the diagnosis is confirmed, then the operation is carried out immediately, any delay delay the child’s life.
Rehabilitation
After the operation, the child’s body recovers within 10-14 days, although it takes up to 5-6 weeks for a good rest. It all depends on the age and the procedure. Moreover, after surgery, the child may be prescribed a course of antibiotics to avoid the consequences of surgery.
During the rehabilitation period, you need to adhere to a special diet that does not burden the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. The intake of vitamins will restore immunity in a short time. Any kind of physical activity, including sports, is excluded for a month, for which exemption from physical education is necessary .
If the operation for catarrhal appendicitis in children is successful and they feel great, there is no need for subsequent drug treatment. Only when the child is worried about severe pain, does the doctor prescribe painkillers. If we are talking about appendicitis of a destructive nature, but without peritonitis, antibiotics are prescribed. And in the case of peritonitis, the rehabilitation period is increasing.
Seam condition
After the operation, it is necessary to observe the condition of the seam for some time. The probability of occurrence of complications depends on how correctly it is processed. While the child is in the hospital, medical personnel are responsible for this, but upon his discharge, the obligations fall on the parents. The treatment of the suture after treatment of appendicitis in children should be carried out twice a day by means of antiseptic solutions:
- brilliant green;
- iodine;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- potassium permanganate.
You also need to carefully monitor the condition of the suture and, if there are certain signs, seek medical help. These include the following:
- The wound does not dry out, but rather becomes wet.
- Pus is visible near the seam.
- Swelling and redness are observed.
- Around the seam pain is felt.
- Body temperature rises.
All this can talk about the development of complications, so you should not hesitate.
Disease prevention
It is impossible to completely avoid the development of appendicitis in children or adults. Nevertheless, there is a way to minimize risks, for which you should try to adhere to basic prevention. First of all, it is about proper nutrition. It is necessary to monitor what the child consumes: the diet should be full, fatty foods should be limited. In addition, eating should be unhurried. You also need to look after the kids up to the age of three - they like to pull everything in their mouths to taste. Small objects easily enter the intestines, which leads to blockage of the cecum and, as a consequence, appendicitis.
From time to time, it is necessary to diagnose and treat existing chronic diseases. . .
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