A new study has shown that children with appendicitis now have the option of choosing antibiotics over surgery.
Researchers found that when families chose antibiotic treatment for kids with simple appendicitis, instead of going immediately for surgery, the children often recovered without ever needing surgery.
Dr. Peter Minneci, of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio said “There is a relatively good body of literature in adults and also in children that shows patients and parents involved in the decision process do better.
“By allowing the patient to be involved in the decision process you are allowing them to align their preference and beliefs with the care themselves, Minneci told Reuters.
Appendicitis occurs when the appendix, a small pouch of tissue off the large intestine, becomes inflamed.
Minneci noted that the study team doesn’t want to say one treatment is better than the other, merely that treatment of simple cases of appendicitis with antibiotics is a reasonable alternative.