Acute appendicitis is a common emergency in general surgery and globally appendectomy is at the top of emergency surgical procedures. Evidence suggests appendectomy is the first-line treatment for acute appendicitis. About 9% of patients develop complications after appendectomy, leading to a long hospital stay and recurrent surgery among others. Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common complication of appendectomy. Many factors may contribute to the occurrence of SSI either during preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative periods. The important role nurses play in the management of appendicitis from admission to discharge cannot be underestimated. This chapter describes nursing assessment, diagnoses and the care plan for a patient with appendicitis on admission. Also, the role of the nurse play during preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative periods, and at Discharge are presented. This information could improve the quality of care and reduce complications.
Part of the book: Appendicitis - Causes and Treatments