This article was a systematic review and meta-analysis that was published on April 2019 in the International Journal of Colorectal Disease. The aim of the meta-analysis was to determine if antibiotic therapy is a safe and effective alternative to appendectomy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis. Seventeen studies were assessed for eligibility and five were included in qualitative and quantitative synthesis. Two independent reviewers performed study selection and data extraction. The primary endpoint was the successful treatment of acute appendicitis and the secondary endpoints were the incidence and type of complications, duration of hospitalization, duration of absence from work, and pain intensity.

The evaluation of the included studies showed that treatment was higher in the surgical group than in the antibiotic group, of the 727 patients treated initially with antibiotics, 272 underwent secondary appendectomy within 1 year. Duration of hospital stay, and the probability of complication-free treatment were not significantly different between the two treatments. However, absence from work was significantly shorter in the antibiotic group.

Antibiotic therapy for acute uncomplicated appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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