What are the symptoms of appendicitis in children?

Appendicitis is a very common disease in children. It is generally rare in children under five years old, but very likely to occur in children over six years old and under twelve years old. Once a child develops appendicitis, it may be very serious. After all, appendicitis can easily lead to various complications. The wall of a child's appendix is ​​relatively thin and is very prone to perforation. Severe cases may lead to the death of the child, so parents must pay attention to appendicitis. What are the symptoms of appendicitis in children? Understanding these symptoms can help parents diagnose and treat them early. The specific symptoms are introduced below.

1. Severe systemic symptoms

It is more serious, with fever occurring early, with body temperature mostly between 37.5 and 38.5°C, and can be as high as 39 to 40°C. The temperature center of young children is unstable and the inflammatory response is severe, and they may even experience symptoms such as chills, high fever, convulsions, and seizures.

2. Abdominal pain

Due to the difficulty in taking and narrating the medical history, the typical history of metastatic abdominal pain is often not obtained. The abdominal pain is widespread, and sometimes abdominal pain is not the first symptom. Persistent abdominal pain that starts in the upper abdomen or around the umbilicus and moves to the right lower abdomen after a few hours. When the appendix cavity is blocked, paroxysmal abdominal pain worsens.

3. Digestive tract symptoms

Often obvious and prominent. Vomiting is often the first symptom, which is severe and lasts a long time. Large amounts of vomiting and inability to eat may lead to dehydration and acidosis. Intestinal inflammation stimulates intestinal peristalsis to move too quickly and can cause diarrhea, but constipation is rare. After appendicitis perforation, rectal irritation symptoms such as frequent bowel movements and tenesmus may occur.

4. Tenderness and muscle tension

The tenderness points are mostly above McBurney's points. Repeated examinations revealed obvious tenderness in the right lower abdomen. The cecum of infants and young children is located high and very mobile, and the tenderness point is biased toward the upper inside. Children have thin abdominal walls and are uncooperative, so it is not easy to determine whether there is muscle tension. Children may be reluctant to move, prefer lying on their right side with their knees bent, and walk with their waist bent. The inspection should be done patiently, gently and carefully, and comparative inspections should be performed up and down and left and right.

5. Abdominal distension and decreased bowel sounds

Due to early peritoneal infiltration, gastrointestinal function is inhibited, so abdominal distension and weakened bowel sounds are more prominent.

6. Upper respiratory tract symptoms

The incidence of upper respiratory tract infections in children is high, and these diseases may be the cause of acute appendicitis in children. Therefore, children often have upper respiratory tract diseases first, and then have clinical manifestations of acute appendicitis.