Study Finds Antibiotics Best for Appendicitis

Drugs avoid risks of surgery, but 20 percent of those who use them still need appendix removed

April 6, 2012 RSS Feed Print

In addition, doctors influence a patient's decision by what they say, he added.

"You could say, 'With antibiotics, there is a four-in-five chance that you won't need an operation.' That seems very reasonable," he said. "But you could say, '20 percent of patients do come back after antibiotics and they have to have their appendix out; maybe we should just take out your appendix.'"

The best a patient can do is make an informed choice by asking questions, Schulman added.

More information

For more on appendicitis, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.