Patient's question:
Please ask, my daughter is 8 years old. Since last Wednesday, she has occasionally had abdominal pain accompanied by nausea, loss of appetite, and poor spirits. The pain is in the upper part of the navel. Is it appendicitis?Doctor's answer:
Appendicitis in children usually occurs abruptly. In some cases, from the onset of abdominal pain to the appendix becoming inflamed, infected, and gangrenous (gangrene, which is essentially rotting and smelly in layman's terms), the time frame can be very short, with some cases worsening within just 2 days. Based on your child's condition, if it is appendicitis, it is likely chronic appendicitis. Although the affected area of appendicitis is small, diagnosis relies on the doctor's inquiry about the patient's symptoms and a thorough physical examination to confirm the diagnosis.From what you've described, it is difficult to determine whether it is appendicitis. The symptoms of appendicitis generally include:
- Abdominal pain, specifically migrating right lower abdominal pain, accompanied by some gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms, such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, systemic symptoms like fatigue, and fever.
- Physical examination may reveal right lower abdominal tenderness and rebound tenderness. In more severe cases, the entire abdomen may be tender.