Condition

Appendicitis

Clinical trials and treatment information for Appendicitis

647K
People Affected
50
Active Trials
16M
New Cases/Year
29K
Deaths/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Laparoscopic Appendectomy
98% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 68% Safety• 141 trials• 500K participants
HIGH EvidenceGood Value
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
68
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate

Duration

Single procedure, 1-4 weeks recovery

Response Rate

98%

Remission Rate

98%

Common Side Effects:

Wound infection: 3.5%
Intra-abdominal abscess: 1%
Bleeding requiring transfusion: 0.2%
Bowel injury: 0.1%
Conversion to open surgery: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$300

Side Effects

$500

Total Annual

$20,000

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.05

ICER

$10,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$20,408

Cost per Responder

$20,408

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Abdominal Pain Severity (VAS)8/10
-87.5% (-7/10)
White Blood Cell Count15,000 cells/µL
-53.3% (-8,000 cells/µL)
C-reactive protein (CRP)50 mg/L
-90% (-45 mg/L)
Body Temperature38.5 °C
-3.89% (-1.5 °C)
Secondary Benefits
Post-operative Hospital Stay3 days
-33.3% (-1 day)
Time to Return to Normal Activities2 weeks
-50% (-1 week)
Post-operative Pain (24h, VAS)6/10
-33.3% (-2/10)
Common Side Effects
Wound infection
+3.5%
Intra-abdominal abscess
+1%
Bleeding requiring transfusion
+0.2%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
2
Open Appendectomy
98% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 65% Safety• 56 trials• 500K participants
HIGH Evidence
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
65
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Immediate

Duration

Single procedure, 2-6 weeks recovery

Response Rate

98%

Remission Rate

98%

Common Side Effects:

Wound infection: 7.5%
Intra-abdominal abscess: 1%
Bleeding requiring transfusion: 0.2%
Bowel injury: 0.1%
Larger scar: 100%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$400

Side Effects

$700

Total Annual

$21,000

Cost per Remission

$21,429

Cost per Responder

$21,429

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Abdominal Pain Intensity (VAS)8/10 score
-70% (-5.6/10 score)
White Blood Cell Count15.0 x 10^9/L
-47% (-7.0 x 10^9/L)
C-Reactive Protein50 mg/L
-90% (-45 mg/L)
Body Temperature38.5 °C
-3.89% (-1.5 °C)
Secondary Benefits
Length of Hospital Stay20 days (estimated for complicated, untreated appendicitis)
-85% (-17 days)
Risk of Appendiceal Perforation/Peritonitis30% risk within 48 hours without surgery
-100% (-30% absolute risk reduction)
Health-Related Quality of Life (SF-36 PCS score)30 points (during acute illness)
+66.7% (+20 points)
Common Side Effects
Wound infection
+7.5%
Intra-abdominal abscess
+1%
Bleeding requiring transfusion
+0.2%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
3
Antibiotic Therapy (for uncomplicated appendicitis)
75% Effectiveness• 85% Confidence• 70% Safety• 13 trials• 5K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: Ertapenem 1g IV daily for 3-5 days, then oral equivalent for 5-7 days; or Cefotaxime 1g IV q8h + Metronidazole 500mg IV q8h for 3-5 days, then oral Amoxicillin-Clavulanate for 5-7 days.
Find Trials

Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
70
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

24-48 hours for symptom improvement

Duration

7-14 days (antibiotics), up to 1 year observation for recurrence

Response Rate

75%

Remission Rate

75%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

1.3

Number Needed to Harm (NNH)

4

Common Side Effects:

Diarrhea: 10%
Nausea/vomiting: 7%
Allergic reaction: 3%
C. difficile infection: 0.5%
Treatment failure requiring appendectomy: 25%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$500

Monitoring

$1,000

Side Effects

$100

Total Annual

$3,500

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

-0.02

ICER

$30,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$4,667

Cost per Responder

$4,667

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Abdominal Pain Score7/10 (Numeric Rating Scale)
-57.1% (-4 points)
White Blood Cell Count15,000 cells/µL
-60% (-9,000 cells/µL)
C-Reactive Protein80 mg/L
-87.5% (-70 mg/L)
Rate of Surgical Intervention (within 30 days)100% (historic standard of care prior to antibiotic therapy)
-70% (-70 percentage points)
Secondary Benefits
Length of Initial Hospital Stay2.5 days (average for surgical appendectomy)
-20% (-0.5 days)
Time to Return to Normal Activities14 days (post-surgical appendectomy)
-50% (-7 days)
Total Healthcare Cost (initial episode)$15,000 (average for surgical appendectomy)
-20% (-$3,000)
Common Side Effects
Diarrhea
+10%
Nausea/vomiting
+7%
Allergic reaction
+3%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4