Prophylactic Drain Placement in Childhood Perforated Appendicitis: Does Spillage Matter?

ABSTRACT: Background: Prophylactic abdominal drains for perforated appendicitis in children have generally been regarded as obsolete because several studies showed inferior results for drain placement in the past. Despite these results, prophylactic abdominal drains for perforated appendicitis remain omnipresent in pediatric surgery especially when gross spillage is observed at the time of appendectomy. Here, we hypothesize that even if accounting for gross intra-abdominal spillage, prophylactic drain placement for perforated appendicitis in children is not beneficial. Patients and Methods: The charts of all children (<18 years) who underwent an appendectomy at our institution from July 2013 to March 2020 were analyzed. The data from 65 patients who presented with perforated appendicit

SUBMITTER: Schmidt YM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7581796 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature