Rapid Review: Appendicitis

Reviewed January 2024

Appendicitis

• Sx: fever, pain that began periumbilical then moved to RLQ, nausea, and anorexia
• PE: psoas sign (RLQ pain on extension of right hip), obturator sign (RLQ pain on internal rotation of flexed right hip), Rovsing sign (RLQ pain when the LLQ is palpated)
• Dx: CT (adults), ultrasound (pediatric or pregnant patients), MRI (pregnant patients with nondiagnostic ultrasound)
• Most commonly caused by fecalith
• Tx: appendectomy, nonoperative management with antibiotics in select patients

By Adam Rosh

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Adam Rosh is the founder and CEO of Rosh Review, which he created in 2011. He received his BA and MS from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He received his medical degree from Rutgers Medical School and completed his emergency medicine residency training at New York University/Bellevue Hospital Center, where he was chief resident. Dr. Rosh went on to serve as assistant residency director and residency director at Detroit Receiving Hospital.