SGEM#476: Cuts like a Knife or Antibiotics for Pediatric Appendicitis

Reference:  St Peter, et al. Appendicectomy versus antibiotics for acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children: an open-label, international, multicentre, randomized noni-inferiority trial. The Lancet. Jan 2025 Date: March 19, 2025 Dr. Camille Wu Guest Skeptic: Dr. Camille Wu is a paediatric surgeon based at Sydney Children’s Hospital where she is the Head of Department. She is also on the Training Committee of Paediatric Surgery for Australia and New Zealand. Case: A 10-year-old boy presents to the emergency department (ED) with his parents. He started having abdominal pain yesterday and did not want to eat. Today, his abdominal pain worsened, and he developed a fever. On examination, he looks uncomfortable and is tender to palpation in the right lower quadrant. You tell the parents that his examination is concerning for appendicitis. You order an ultrasound that demonstrates a dilated and non-compressible appendix. You consult the surgery team and both of you come to speak with the family. His parents tell you, “His sister was diagnosed with appendicitis during the Covid pandemic. At that time, she was admitted to the hospital but just treated with antibiotics. She was able to go home and has done well since that time. Do you think he needs surgery, or can he be treated with antibiotics as well?” Background: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common pediatric surgical complaints that we encounter in the ED. Traditionally, appendicectomy has been the gold standard for treatment, based on its effectiveness in preventing complications such as perforation, abscess formation, and peritonitis​. This is typically done laparoscopically through a few small incisions. The concept of non-operative treatment of appendicitis (NOTA) with antibiotics has gained interest over the past decade. This has been supported by growing evidence suggesting that some cases of uncomplicated appendicitis may resolve without surgery​. We have covered NOTA before on the SGEM that included some meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and observational studies. SGEM #115: Complicated-Non-operative Treatment of Appendicitis (NOTA) SGEM #180: The First Cut is the Deepest- N.O.T. for Paediatric Appendicitis SGEM #256: Doctor Doctor Give Me the News, I Gotta Bad Case of RLQ Pain- Should I have an Appendectomy? SGEM #345: Checking In, Checking Out for Non-Operative Treatment of Appendicitis (APPAC II RCT) SGEM #384: Take Me Out Tonight, I Don’t Want to Perforate My Appendix Alright The results have been mixed. Some of these studies have suggested that antibiotic therapy is non-inferior to surgical management while other studies have suggested antibiotic therapy did not meet criteria for non-inferiority compared to appendectomy. Most of these studies were conducted in the adult population with fewer studies conducted in children. The question remains: To cut or not to cut? Clinical Question: In children with acute uncomplicated appendicitis, is treatment with antibiotics non-inferior to appendicectomy? Reference:  St Peter, et al. Appendicectomy versus antibiotics for acute uncomplicated appendicitis in children: an open-label, international, multicentre, randomized noni-inferiority trial. The Lancet. Jan 2025 Population: Children aged 5-16 years with suspected non-perforated appendicitis based on clinical diagnosis +/- imaging Excluded: suspicion of perforated appendicitis, appendix mass/phlegmon, previous antibiotic treatment, positive pregnancy test, current treatment for malignancy, comorbid condition altering length of stay Intervention: Antibiotic therapy, initially with IV antibiotics followed by oral antibiotics after clinical improvement Comparison: Laparoscopic appendectomy Outcome: Primary Outcome: Treatment failure within 1 year. Secondary: Complications (adverse events that required interventions without general anesthesia), length of hospital stay,