Poor Kids are More Likely to Rupture Their Appendix

A recent study in the journal, “Population Health Metrics,” reports that poor, ethic minority children are more likely to rupture their appendix than other children (Jablonski and Guagliardo, May 4, 2005).

The study was done as part of an effort to measure racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare.

The study compared rates of appendicitis rupture between white, African American, Hispanic and Asian children.

The study found that minority children had 24% – 38% higher odds of appendicitis rupture than white children, adjusting for age and gender. These differences were reduced, but remained significant after adjusting for other factors.

“Rupture of the appendix is a significant problem because it allows infection to enter the abdominal cavity,” says Dr. Bradley Hennenfent, “and that translates into sicker patients, higher risk of death, and longer hospital stays.”

Appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency. Patients are often faced with the urgent need for information. They must decide whether or not to have surgery and what kind of surgery to have. It’s easy to misdiagnose appendicitis, and up to half of the time, when operated on for appendicitis, the appendix will be completely normal.

For more information visit the Appendicitis Foundation at: http://www.AppendicitisFoundation.org