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Abstract
In children, acute appendicitis (AA) is usually mistaken for empacho, which, according to popular belief, is caused by the ingestion of undercooked or cold food causing gastrointestinal symptoms. The empirical treatment is abdominal manipulation, consisting of massages with different maneuvers on the abdominal wall, accompanied by home remedies. The effect of these therapies in the presence of AA is unknown.
Objective: To determine the association between abdominal manipulation and complicated AA in pediatric patients.
Patients and Method: Case-control study in a pediatric population under 18 years of age, with acute abdomen symptoms, who underwent surgery for AA, in a tertiary health institution in Honduras. Cases were defined as patients with complicated AA and controls as those with simple AA. A binary logistic regression model was used to determine the risk factors associated with complications of AA.
Results: Sixty-two pediatric patients were analyzed (31 cases and 31 controls) with a median age of 11 years. 58.1% were from an urban area. 77.4% of the cases and 9.7% of controls had a history of abdominal manipulation. The most frequent initial symptom was abdominal pain. In the univariate analysis, male sex, prolonged evolution time, use of home remedies, leukocytosis > 20,000/mm3, and abdominal manipulation were risk factors for complicated AA. In the multivariate model, abdominal manipulation was the main risk factor (OR 15.94 [3.40- 74.59]).
Conclusion: Cultural beliefs such as empacho and its respective treatments such as abdominal manipulation and use of home remedies are risk factors for the complication of an established AA case, as well as contributing to the delay in diagnosis.
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