4 genes' activity could be key to faster appendicitis diagnosis
Doctors could use distinct patterns of gene activity in the blood to more quickly diagnose and treat children with life-threatening appendicitis , new research suggests. These genetic measures could help doctors differentiate between so-called simple and complicated appendicitis at early stages of the disease, researchers wrote in a paper published Monday (Feb. 19) in the journal JAMA Pediatrics . This method of diagnosis could flag which patients should be rushed into surgery and which might be able to be treated through nonsurgical methods, such as antibiotics, they noted. The appendix is a finger-like tube that extends from the large intestine. If the appendix becomes blocked — for example, by food or feces — disease-causing pathogens can get trapped within it, triggering inflammation . The appendix can then swell and push against nearby blood vessels , reducing blood supply to the organ and causing sharp abdominal pain. There are several forms of appen...