CHANGES IN THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A RETROSPECTIVE LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic caused several changes in medical practice, especially in medical practice, modifying both the ways of examining and treating patients with acute appendicitis (AA) and the complexity of cases due to the delay and postponement in attending the emergency service. The aim of this systematic review was to understand and examine the most relevant changes and manifestations in the rise of the pandemic, in the period between January 2020 and April 2021, regarding the initial management and therapy of patients with AA. A search was performed on the PubMed and Virtual Health Library (VHL) platforms, in which a total of 25 scientific articles were found after completing the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Through the analyzed studies, a growing trend was observed in the use of conservative treatment with antibiotics, oral in simpler cases and intravenous in complicated/perforated appendicitis. It was also observed, at first, a reception and decrease in the use of the laparoscopic approach compared to the open approach, largely due to the lack of conclusive studies regarding the risk of dissemination due to the aerosolization process. In conclusion, it is important for healthcare professionals to exercise more careful planning in patient admission and triage and to strictly follow emergency protocols so that both antibiotic therapy and emergency appendectomy can be offered safely and with lower risk. complications and spread of the COVID-19 virus.