APPENDICITIS | |
Appendicitis Glossary |
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Abnormal: Not normal. Deviating from the usual structure, position, condition, or behavior. Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness. A local anesthetic causes loss of feeling in a part of the body. A general anesthetic puts the person to sleep. Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. Originally, an antibiotic was a substance produced by one microorganism that selectively inhibits the growth of another. Synthetic antibiotics, usually chemically related to natural antibiotics, have since been produced that accomplish comparable tasks. Appendix: A small out pouching from the beginning of the large intestine (the ascending colon). Formally called the vermiform appendix because it was thought to be wormlike. Complication: In medicine, an additional problem that arises following a procedure, treatment or illness and is secondary to it. A complication complicates the situation. CAT or CT scan: Computerized Axial Tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that takes the data from multiple X-ray images and turns them into pictures on a screen. CT stands for computerized tomography. Fecolith: A hard stony mass of feces. A fecolith can obstruct the appendix, leading to appendicitis. Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered to have a significant fever until the temperature is above 100.4 degrees F (38 degrees C.). Incision: A cut. When making an incision, a surgeon is making a cut. Infection: The growth of a parasitic organism within the body. (A parasitic organism is one that lives on or in another organism and draws its nourishment there from.) A person with an infection has another organism (a "germ") growing within him, drawing its nourishment from the person. Laparoscopy: A type of minimally invasive surgery in which a small incision (cut) is made in the abdominal wall through which an instrument called a laparoscope is inserted to permit structures within the abdomen and pelvis to be seen. Nausea: Nausea is the urge to vomit. It can be brought by many causes including, systemic illnesses, such as influenza, medications, pain, and inner ear disease. Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. Periappendiceal: Near the appendix. Perforation of the appendix can lead to a Periappendiceal abscess (a collection of pus near the appendix). Peritonitis: Inflammation of the peritoneum (The peritoneum is the tissue layer of cells lining the inner wall of the abdomen and pelvis). Peritonitis can result from infection (such as bacteria or parasites), injury and bleeding, or diseases. Stool: The solid matter discharged in a bowel movement. Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. Anxiety, lower back pain, and fatigue are all symptoms. They are sensations only the patient can perceive. In contrast, a sign is objective evidence of disease. Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultrasound waves can be bounced off of tissues using special devices. The echoes are then converted into a picture called a sonogram. Ultrasound imaging, referred to as Ultrasonography, allows physicians and patients to get an inside view of soft tissues and body cavities, without using invasive techniques. X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-rays possess the properties of penetrating most substances (to varying extents), of acting on a photographic film or plate (permitting radiography), and of causing a fluorescent screen to give off light (permitting fluoroscopy). In low doses X-rays are used for making images that help to diagnose disease, and in high doses to treat cancer. Formerly called a Roentgen ray. |
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Posted by:
nadren
Posted on: 01/10/2012 My friend had surgery for a ruptured appendix about a month ago. He resumed very light strolling yesterday for about 20 minutes, however, during the night he awoke with headaches three times. Could this be as a result of the stroll and is it ok for him to resume very light exercises right now.
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Posted by:
Siouxsie
Posted on: 08/14/2011 OK! I've been having pain on my right lower side of the abdomen and I have been having muscle spasms. I have also been having nausea and vomiting. I went to the hospital and all they did was run some blood tests and checked my urine for a uti. They sent me off for an x-ray and when they got all the results back the only thing wrong was that I had a uti. So they gave me antibiotics and sent me home. After 5 days of taking the antibiotics I was still having the same stomach problems. So 2 days after I finished the pills I waited and went in to see my doctor. She ordered an ultrasound to check my appendix and pancreas. The results take a few days to come back and it has been over 5 days now and the muscle spasms are getting worse and I still have pain in my right side. Should I be concerned? |
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Posted by:
Lottie13(Guest)
Posted on: 03/09/2011 I remember when i got an appendicitis. I was at school and i'd felt terrible for about 3 days then in science i collapsed in pain the next thing i remember was waking up in recovery and been told by my teacher that i'd had my appendix taken out. I was sooo embarassed when i found out what happened after i passed out, apparantly everyone thought i was faking and started laughing at me until the teacher told them to shut up and sit down, then she started shouting at me telling me to stop messing about and get up, it was only about 2 minuets later when the end of period bell went and i didn't get that she realised something was wrong!
Posted by:
Joecab(Guest)
Posted on: 02/02/2011 By jcab_09@yahoo.com I remember that it was friday, I got paid ready to buy my xbox. As I got to the store they had the kinetic thing for the xbox so me and my friend where playing it, everything seemed normal and I drank water as well. After purchasing the product I went home and installed it and layed down in my bed setting the instructions etc until suddenly I felt a built In gas in my stomach, well I thought it was a mean gas I had, the ones they call "silent" killers well I try to pull the gas out but I notice it was nothing to do with it, couple hours passed by and I thought to myself maybe I ate something bad so I try to vomit and since u couldn't I forced myself, I really thought that it was something I ate but I only made it worst and the contractions that you use to vomit made my stomach hurt even harder. Soon I thought it was gastritis but yet it was not, I was taken to hospital that made me wait 2 days almost 3 days if it wasn't for my mom re complications would of been bigger and dangerous. The other hospital really checked me, had me being process by the ct scan and confirm it was the appendix that needed to he removed. Currently I was discharged and this is my 2nd day being home, the pain is there but I'm walking a lot. Question is what can i eat now ?? |
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Posted by:
ennairam_23
Posted on: 01/26/2011 The first symptom that someone with appendicitis will feel is a pain on the abdomen, specifically on the right lower quadrant. An appendicitis is an emergency most especially if there is already a rupture of the appendix. Immediate surgery is needed to remove the affected appendix.
Posted by:
neha_v15
Posted on: 10/08/2010 Suddenly 1 day i got un bearable pain all over d stomach so i thought it was just a normal pain as i lived in hostel no one was der 2 take me 2 hospital atleast 4 checkup but finally my pain grew more and i went 2 hos. d doctor gave me an injection 4 gas trouble and told 2 consult her on next day but der was fluctuations in pain so i went 2 consult her on next day and finally d report was infront of me and i was like shocked 2 see dat d my case was a bit complicated n felt like crying as my parents wer far off n it would take 2days 2 come 2 me.but coz of my frnds i could b bold and really it was a nice experience.just last week i was discharged.
Posted by:
ckizna(Guest)
Posted on: 09/08/2010 My pain started as a very painful stomach bloating and slowly moved towards my lower right abdomen. First I thought it was just a regular stomach ache and I thought it would go away. But I was wrong, the pain became worse every hour. I could not sleep the whole night. The next morning I went to ER and they performed a CAT scan of my pelvis area and send the report to an Expert. An hour later they confirmed that it was my appendix that had caused the pain and had to be removed. I hadn't eaten anything since the pain started, this was the best thing I did. If it is the appendix that caused the problem then you should not eat or drink anything by mouth, otherwise it will delay your surgery. They did an open appendectomy to remove my appendix. I was discharged from the hospital the very next day. I recovered with in 3 days. It was a memorable experience.
Posted by:
gr8ful-mother05(Guest)
Posted on: 08/27/2010 my son is 4 years old and already went thru this surgery. But i'm glad we caught it before the pain got worse. thank God we were at the hospital when his pain had gotten to the extrem!!! He's fine now, after the surgery he was up playing and back to his normal self.
Posted by:
johnnyutah46
Posted on: 08/22/2010 My pain started around my belly button at first and since it was fairly minor I thought that it was gas or something that I had eaten. Within a couple of hours the pain became unbearable, and since I was traveling on the road, I thought that if I could just make it home I would see the doctor then. I was in agony most of that night (and I later found out that my appendix must have burst during those first hours.) Surprisingly when I arrived home the pain had diminished almost completely, but some discomfort still remained. I opted to forgo seeing a doctor and resumed normal activities. Within a few days the pain returned with a flourish, located mostly on the right hand side of my abdomen, just below the belt line. It hurt to sneeze, blow my nose, bend over, walk, or just about anything involving my abdominal muscles. I went to the doctor, underwent a CT Scan, and was told that I required an emergency appendectomy. The entire procedure was extremely painful, (likely because of my own negligence), but because of an excellent medical staff, I am quickly on the mend. If I had caught it faster I would probably be suffering a lot less. |
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