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. 2025 Apr 28;17(4):e83139.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.83139. eCollection 2025 Apr.

Antibiotics Use in the Treatment of Patients With Appendicitis in Three Hospitals in Taif City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study

Hatim A Elsheikh  1 , Amal I Elsiddig  2 , Nouf A Alqarni  3 , Amnah Dobel  3 , Batool Y Asiri  3 , Shaden O Alqurashi  3 , Mohamed Alsaeed  2
Affiliations

Antibiotics Use in the Treatment of Patients With Appendicitis in Three Hospitals in Taif City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study

Hatim A Elsheikh et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Acute appendicitis is a common surgical emergency caused by inflammation and infection of the appendix, yet there is limited consensus on its management despite its widespread prevalence. While surgery remains the standard, the role of antibiotics, particularly in nonoperative management, is increasingly recognized. This study aims to identify the antibiotic regimens for appendicitis in three governmental and military hospitals in Taif City, assess their consistency with international guidelines, review effectiveness, and determine the length of hospital stay for patients following different treatment methods. Method: A retrospective chart review design was used to analyze the antibiotics regimen used for managing appendicitis and perforated appendicitis among patients of various age groups in Taif City. Data was collected from the medical records of patients admitted to pediatric and adult surgery units from January 2020 to December 2022. SPSS software, version 26.0, was used for descriptive analysis, while inferential statistical tests were used to compare hospital stays. Results: The study analyzed 646 hospital records for patients with appendicitis. Surgical interventions were common, with open appendectomy being the most common procedure, 522 (80.8%). Only 25 (3.9%) patients received preoperative antibiotics, while 481 (74.5%) patients received postoperative antibiotics, mostly Augmentin, with oral administration being preferred in 450 (69.7%) cases. Postoperative outcomes showed low complication rates, with only 54 (8.4%) experiencing surgical-site infections, hernia, and minimal abdominal pain. The mean hospital stay was 2.2 days. Conclusion: The study suggests that compliance with preoperative antibiotic guidelines should be improved, and nonoperative management options should be discussed in certain patient populations. The focus should be on rational antibiotic usage and patient-oriented treatment methods to maximize appendicitis treatment compared to existing literature.

Keywords: abdominal; acute appendicitis; antibiotics; hospital stays; nonoperative; surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Research and Studies Department, Directorate of Health Affairs - Taif, Ministry of Health and the Research Ethics Committee of Armed Forces Hospitals, Western Region, Taif, Saudi Arabia issued approval HAP-02-T-067-795 and H-02-T-078-2024-937. The study was initiated after obtaining permission from the administrations of the two relevant government hospitals (King Faisal Medical Complex and King Abdulaziz Specialist Hospital) and Alhada Armed Forces Hospital in Taif, to conduct the retrospective patient chart review using their computerized hospital administrative registration systems. The study adhered to ethical principles, ensuring the confidentiality of patient data. Patient identities were anonymized in the data analysis process to protect privacy and confidentiality. Ethical considerations also included obtaining permissions for data access and ensuring compliance with institutional policies and regulations regarding research involving human subjects. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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