Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Postoperative Antibiotics for Patients with a Complex Appendicitis

Postoperative antibiotics are recommended after appendectomy for complex appendicitis to reduce infectious complications. The duration of this treatment varies considerably between and even within institutions. The aim of this review was to critically appraise studies on duration of antibiotic treatment following appendectomy for complex appendicitis. A systematic literature search according to the PRISMA guidelines was performed. Comparative studies evaluating different durations of postoperative antibiotic therapy. Primary endpoint was intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) after appendectomy. Secondary endpoints were surgical site infection, readmission and length of hospital stay. The quality of evidence was assessed with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Pooled event rates were calculated using a random-effects model. Nine studies reporting 2006 patients with complex appendicitis were included. The methodological quality of the included articles was poor. IAA was seen in 138 patients (8,6%). Meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant difference in IAA incidence between antibiotic treatment of ≤5 vs. >5 days (risk ratio (OR) 0.36 [95% CI 0.23-0.57] (p 3 days (OR 0.81 [95% CI 0.38-1.74] (p = 0.59)). Descriptive statistics were used for secondary endpoints. The duration of postoperative antibiotic treatment is not associated with IAA following appendectomy for complex appendicitis

Variation in Classification and Postoperative Management of Complex Appendicitis: A European Survey

Background: Data on common practice in the management of patients with complex appendicitis are scarce, especially for the adult population. Variation in the definition of complex appendicitis, indications for and the type of prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis have not been well studied yet. The aim of this study was to document current practice of the classification and postoperative management of complex appendicitis on an international level. Methods: An online survey was dispersed among practicing surgeons and surgical residents. Survey questions pertained to the definition of a complex appendicitis, indications for antibiotic prophylaxis after appendectomy, the duration, route of administration and antibiotic agents used. Results: A total of 137 survey responses were eligible for analysis. Most respondents were from Northern or Western Europe and were specialized in gastrointestinal surgery. Opinion varied substantially regarding the management of appendicitis, in particular for phlegmonous appendicitis with localized pus, gangrenous appendicitis and iatrogenic rupture of appendicitis. The most common duration of postoperative antibiotics was evenly spread over <3, 3, 5 and 7 days. Whereas most respondents indicated a combined intravenous and oral route of administration was common practice, 28% answered a completely intravenous route of administration was standard practice. Conclusion: Current practice patterns in the classification and postoperative management of complex appendicitis are highly variable

Variation in Classification and Postoperative Management of Complex Appendicitis: A European Survey

Background: Data on common practice in the management of patients with complex appendicitis are scarce, especially for the adult population. Variation in the definition of complex appendicitis, indications for and the type of prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis have not been well studied yet. The aim of this study was to document current practice of the classification and postoperative management of complex appendicitis on an international level. Methods: An online survey was dispersed among practicing surgeons and surgical residents. Survey questions pertained to the definition of a complex appendicitis, indications for antibiotic prophylaxis after appendectomy, the duration, route of administration and antibiotic agents used. Results: A total of 137 survey responses were eligible for analysis. Most respondents were from Northern or Western Europe and were specialized in gastrointestinal surgery. Opinion varied substantially regarding the management of appendicitis, in particular for phlegmonous appendicitis with localized pus, gangrenous appendicitis and iatrogenic rupture of appendicitis. The most common duration of postoperative antibiotics was evenly spread over <3, 3, 5 and 7 days. Whereas most respondents indicated a combined intravenous and oral route of administration was common practice, 28% answered a completely intravenous route of administration was standard practice. Conclusion: Current practice patterns in the classification and postoperative management of complex appendicitis are highly variable

Interobserver variability in the classification of appendicitis during laparoscopy

Background: The intraoperative classification of appendicitis dictates the patient's postoperative management. Prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended for complex appendicitis (gangrenous, perforated, abscess), whereas preoperative prophylaxis suffices for simple appendicitis. Distinguishing these two conditions can be challenging. The aim of this study was to assess interobserver variability in the classification of appendicitis during laparoscopy. Methods: Short video recordings taken during laparoscopy for suspected appendicitis were shown to surgeons and surgical residents. They were asked to: classify the appendix as indicative of no, simple or complex appendicitis; categorize the appendix as normal, phlegmonous, gangrenous, perforated and/or abscess; and decide whether they would prescribe postoperative antibiotics. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using Fleiss' κ score and the S* statistic. Results: Some 80 assessors participated in the study. Video recordings of 20 patients were used. Interobserver agreement was minimal for both the classification of appendicitis (κ score 0·398, 95 per cent c.i. 0·385 to 0·410) and the decision to prescribe postoperative antibiotic treatment (κ score 0·378, 0·362 to 0·393). Agreement was slightly higher when published criteria were applied (κ score 0·552, 0·537 to 0·568). Conclusion: There is considerable variability in the intraoperative classification of appendicitis and the decision to prescribe postoperative antibiotic treatment

Same-day discharge after appendectomy for acute appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Patients presenting with acute appendicitis are usually hospitalized for a few days for appendectomy and postoperative recovery. Shortening length of stay may reduce costs and improve patient satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety of same-day discharge after appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. A literature search of EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar was conducted from inception to April 14, 2020. Two reviewers independently screened the literature and selected studies that addressed discharge on the same calendar day as the appendectomy. Risk of bias was assessed with the ROBINS-I tool. Main outcomes were hospital readmission, complications, and unplanned hospital visits in the postoperative course. A random effects model was used to pool risk ratios for the main outcomes. Results: Of the 1912 articles screened, 17 comparative studies and 8 non-comparative studies met the inclusion criteria. Most only included laparoscopic procedure for uncomplicated appendicitis. Most studies were considered at moderate or serious risk of bias. In meta-analysis, same-day discharge (vs. overnight hospitalization) was not associated with increased rates of readmission, complication, and unplanned hospital visits. Non-comparative studies demonstrated low rates of readmission, complications, and unplanned hospital visits after same-day discharge. Conclusion: This study suggests that same-day discharge after laparoscopic appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis is safe without an increased risk of readmission, complications, or unplanned hospital visits. Hence, same-day discharge may be further encouraged in selected patients. Trial registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD4201811594

Postoperative Outcomes of Patients With Nonperforated Gangrenous Appendicitis: A National Multicenter Prospective Cohort Analysis

BACKGROUND: Controversy exists regarding the use of postoperative antibiotics for nonperforated gangrenous appendicitis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of postoperative infectious complications and the effect of postoperative antibiotic use among patients with nonperforated gangrenous appendicitis. DESIGN: This was a prospective cohort study conducted during 2 months. SETTINGS: A national multicenter observational study was conducted in 62 Dutch hospitals. PATIENTS: All of the consecutive patients who had surgery for suspected acute appendicitis were included. Patients were excluded if no appendectomy was performed or appendectomy was performed for pathology other than acute appendicitis. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Type of appendicitis was categorized as phlegmonous, gangrenous, or perforated. The primary end point was the rate of infectious complications (intra-abdominal abscess and surgical site infection) within 30 days after appendectomy. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of infectious complications. RESULTS: A total of 1863 patients were included: 1321 (70.9%) with phlegmonous appendicitis, 181 (9.7%) with gangrenous appendicitis, and 361 (19.4%) with perforated appendicitis. Infectious complications were more frequent in patients with gangrenous versus phlegmonous appendicitis (7.2% vs 3.8%; p = 0.03). This association was no long

Two versus five days of antibiotics after appendectomy for complex acute appendicitis (APPIC): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common indications for emergency surgery. In patients with a complex appendicitis, prolonged antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended after appendectomy. There is no consensus regarding the optimum duration of antibiotics. Guidelines propose 3 to 7 days of treatment, but shorter courses may be as effective in the prevention of infectious complications. At the same time, the global issue of increasing antimicrobial resistance urges for optimization of antibiotic strategies. The aim of this study is to determine whether a short course (48 h) of postoperative antibiotics is non-inferior to current standard practice of 5 days. Methods: Patients of 8 years and older undergoing appendectomy for acute complex appendicitis - defined as a gangrenous and/or perforated appendicitis or appendicitis in presence of an abscess - are eligible for inclusion. Immunocompromised or pregnant patients are excluded, as well as patients with a contraindication to the study antibiotics. In total, 1066 patients will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to the experimental treatment arm (48 h of postoperative intravenously administered (IV) antibiotics) or the control arm (5 days of postoperative IV antibiotics). After discharge from the hospital, patients participate in a productivity-cost-questionnaire at 4 weeks and a standardized telephone follow-up at 90 days after appendectomy. The primary outcome is a composite endpoint of infectious complications, including intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) and surgical site infection (SSI), and mortality within 90 days after appendectomy. Secondary outcomes include IAA, SSI, restart of antibiotics, length of hospital stay (LOS), reoperation, percutaneous drainage, readmission rate, and cost-effectiveness. The non-inferiority margin for the difference in the primary endpoint rate is set at 7.5% (one-sided test at α 0.025). Both per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses will be performed. Discussion: This trial will provide evidence on whether 48 h of postoperative antibiotics is non-inferior to a standard course of 5 days of antibiotics. If non-inferiority is established, longer intravenous administration following appendectomy for complex appendicitis can be abandoned, and guidelines need to be adjusted accordingly