Appendicitis in general is a serious condition and in many cases it can even cause death. Signs of appendicitis may take 4-48 hours to develop. Appendicitis is a painful swelling of the appendix, a finger-like pouch connected to the large intestine. Appendicitis occurs fairly commonly with about 6 percent of the population being affected by it.
Mortality and morbidity have gradually decreased, especially in the last few decades because of antibiotics, early diagnosis, and improvements in anesthesiologic and surgical techniques. Appendicitis, as we know it refers to some form of blockage of the vermiform appendix in conjunction with some type of internal bacterial infection. The body responds to the invasion by mounting an attack on the bacteria, an attack called inflammation. Most commonly, feces blocks the inside of the appendix.
