Comparison of the demographic and clinical features of pregnant and non-pregnant patients undergoing appendectomy

Abstract

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study aims to compare the demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of the pregnant and non-pregnant patients who underwent appendectomy with a presumed diagnosis of acute appendicitis. METHODS: Between June 2009 and January 2019, 431 reproductive-aged of female patients underwent appendectomy with a presumed diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Patients were divided into two groups considering their pregnancy status: pregnant group (n=48) and non-pregnant group (n=383). Both groups were compared with respect to demographic, clinical and histopathological features. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found between pregnant and non-pregnant groups except total bilirubin level (p=0.019) and ultrasonographic findings (p=0.016). In the non-pregnant group, negative appendectomy and perforation rates were 26% and 10.5%, where these rates for the pregnant group were 20.8% and 4.2%. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rates of ultrasonography for the pregnant group were 50%, 100% and 58.5%, where these rates for the non-pregnant group were 67.3%, 57.9% and 65%. The pregnancy date was the first trimester in 52.1%, the second trimester in 29.2% and the third trimester in 16.7% of the pregnants. None of the term births (87.5%) resulted in neither a fetal nor a maternal complication. However, 12.5% of the preterm births resulted in neonatal mortality. CONCLUSION: Although not statistically significant, this study points out relatively lower rates of negative appendectomy and perforated acute appendicitis among pregnant patients, which is related to the overly attentive evaluation of pregnants admitted due to acute abdomen.