Non-operative versus operative management of uncomplicated acute appendicitis: a randomized controlled study in Sierra Leone
Constance Cummings-John, Abdulai Jawo Bah, Aiah Lebbie, Temidayo Ogundiran · 2026
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Description
Cummings-John and co-authors ran a randomized trial in 2026 at Connaught Hospital in Sierra Leone. They asked whether antibiotics alone can treat uncomplicated appendicitis, sparing patients an operation. Sixty patients were assigned evenly. The non-operative group received two days of intravenous antibiotics, then five days of pills. The other group underwent open appendix removal. Follow-up checks ran out to 90 days.
Antibiotics succeeded in 18 of the 30 patients, a 60 percent success rate. Only one successful patient relapsed within a week of discharge. The failures mostly declared themselves during the first admission and proceeded to surgery. Successful antibiotic treatment beat surgery on nearly every practical measure. Quality-of-life scores were higher, and the mean stay was four days. Mean cost was about 49 dollars, with no family pushed into catastrophic health spending. The authors see a real role for antibiotics where surgical capacity is scarce.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Constance Cummings-John, Abdulai Jawo Bah, Aiah Lebbie, Temidayo Ogundiran |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 42 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |