Continuing fall in the incidence of acute appendicitis

Abstract

Previous reports have shown a marked decrease in the incidence of acute appendicitis. This study has set out to discover whether this decrease has continued. The pathology records over 15 years have been reviewed to tabulate the frequency of appendicitis in one large district general hospital. The results were then analysed statistically. The incidence of acute appendicitis was seen to decrease from approximately 100 to 52 over the 15-year period. This continuing decrease in the incidence of acute appendicitis has implications on acute surgical bed usage, experience for trainee surgeons and referral patterns for general practitioners.