Appendectomy: prognostic factors in the brazilian unified health system

Abstract

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION: Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common cause of surgical acute abdomen. Postoperative complications in emergency care are reflections of the surgical procedure and pre- and postoperative factors. OBJECTIVE: Define prognostic factors for patients who underwent appendectomy, comparing them with the literature. METHODS: Descriptive observational study with a cross-sectional design based on data from the emergency/urgency appendectomy records between September 2018 and April 2019. Variables of interest were considered based on intrinsic patient data, clinical status, and perioperative management factors. Primary outcomes considered: postoperative complications from hospital admission discharge and prolonged hospital stay for > 2 days. Secondary outcome: death. The results were evaluated by Fisher's exact test (p <0.05). RESULTS: We identified 48 patients undergoing an appendectomy. Young adults accounted for 68.7%. From the total, 58.3% were males, 6 (12.5%) had hospitalization> 2 days, 4 (8.3%) had complications and no deaths. Among the variables, the stage of AA, the time of complaint up until seeking care, and advanced age were correlated with worse prognosis during hospitalization (p <0.05). The emergence of immediate postoperative complications was correlated with longer hospital stay (p <0.05). DISCUSSION: The descriptive data of the sample converge with the epidemiological profile of patients with AA in the literature, corroborating the applicability of conventional guidelines. The results strengthen the hypothesis that the patient's flow with abdominal manifestations is complicated from the first contact with SUS to the resolution of the condition. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the epidemiological profile and perioperative predictors that are most related to complications favor the appropriate management of patients.