Dr. Esteban Kosak 
Appendicitis is the swelling of the appendix’s inner layer that further affects its other parts. It is truly a medical emergency and one of the most common causes of abrupt abdominal pain.
The appendix is a thin sack that protrudes from the first portion of the colon (the large intestine); when it comes to its location, the abdomen is divided into four exact portions—the appendix projects on the right side and lower portion of the abdomen.
Appendicitis is a term that refers to this organ’s swelling; it can even fill-up with pus. This condition is pretty common. In fact, appendicitis affects up to seven percent of people in the United States. Every year, there are about 300,000 surgeries for removing the appendix (appendicectomies) in the US.
Importantly, appendicitis is a condition that requires immediate medical attention because its treatment requires surgery (appendix removal).
The problem comes when doctors have to diagnose it. Appendicitis’ symptoms generally overlap with several other diseases; some of them also require surgery, and others do not. This obstacle causes a diagnosis delay, which translates into more complications in the long run.
Sadly, neither symptom, sign, or diagnostic test by itself, precisely establishes the diagnosis of appendicitis, especially if we consider the different presentations this disease has. Still, there is a classic display of how the disease’s symptoms begin and progress in about half of the cases. The remaining patients will have somewhat different symptoms from the classical ones.
Several causes prompt appendicitis, including the appendix infection, although this disease’s most important cause is the organ’s obstruction. When there is obstruction of the appendix, it swells; therefore, appendicitis begins.
If appendicitis does not receive treatment, people are at risk of life-threatening complications. There could be perforation (rupture) of the bowel, leading to peritonitis, a severe abdominal infection. Without treatment, appendicitis could cause death.
Patients that receive treatment (the earlier, the better) with surgery mostly have successful outcomes. Less than one percent of patients with this disease die.
The tool is an Appendicitis Symptoms Checker. It gathers the most important signs, symptoms, and risk factors of this disease.
An assessment of the abdominal area by a surgeon is necessary for diagnosing this disease besides all complimentary exams for ruling out other similar conditions. The doctor will perform maneuvers that would tend to be positive in patients with appendicitis and also discard any underlying possible complications at the moment, like peritonitis.
This tool has questions that aim to identify the most important signs, symptoms, and risk factors for appendicitis. Therefore, the tool will tell anybody who uses it the likelihood that their symptoms are because of this disease.
Remember that this tool does not replace a doctor’s assessment or the necessary tests to rule out similar conditions. The tool will only talk about a higher likelihood of having appendicitis. And using this tool is free and would only take a few minutes.
- Question of
Are you a male?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have twenty years or less?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Did your symptoms start with appetite loss and belly pain in the epigastrium or umbilical region (refer to the photo below)?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Did you vomit before this belly or abdominal pain started?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
After these two last symptoms appeared (appetite loss and belly pain), do you now have nausea? (feeling like throwing up)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
After these two last symptoms appeared (appetite loss and belly pain), do you now have vomiting? (Only click yes if you have vomited after the onset of the abdominal pain)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
After these two last symptoms appeared (appetite loss and belly pain), do you now have pain in the right lower quadrant (refer to the photo below)?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Does this abdominal pain require you to lie down and flex your hips, draw your knees and avoid moving to alleviate the pain (fetal position)? (Refer to the photo below)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have less than two days with these symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have tenderness and/or severe pain to the touch in the right lower quadrant? (Touch with your hand the right lower quadrant and determine if the temperature is higher than in other abdominal portions – Tenderness) (Use your hand to press in the right lower quadrant area while lying down still, click yes only if that touch elicits you pain mostly when you remove the pressure from the abdomen, which is when you take out your hand)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have diarrhea (loose stools or a higher frequency of bowel movements)?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have more than three days with diarrhea?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
If you cough on purpose while lying down still, do you trigger sharp pain in your right lower abdominal quadrant?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have a fever? (preferably use a thermometer which needs to shows more than 101,3 °F or touch your forehead and determine if the temperature is increased)
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Please stand on your toes and suddenly drop to the heels. Does this cause abdominal pain in a certain area?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
Do you have bloody or reddish stools?
- Yes
- No
- Question of
If female, do you have an abnormal vaginal discharge?
- Yes
- No
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