Parental Knowledge of Appendicitis and Preference for Operative or Non-Operative Treatment at a United Kingdom Children's Hospital.

ABSTRACT: Appendicitis is a common cause of abdominal pain in children, and is the most common reason for children to undergo emergency abdominal surgery. To guide our research program in this field, we aimed to determine parental understanding with regard to appendicitis and its treatment. We also wished to assess parental preference for non-operative or surgical treatment of children with uncomplicated appendicitis. We asked parents attending a children's outpatient clinic to complete a brief questionnaire that was interspersed with educational content to rectify any knowledge gaps. A total of 396 parents (of 414 approached) agreed to participate. There were gaps in parental knowledge, including not knowing where the appendix is located (one-third of respondents), not knowing what appendicitis is

SUBMITTER: Monks K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9406866 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature