Medical Management of Acute Appendicitis: A Case Report

The standard treatment for acute appendicitis is appendectomy, but in isolated environments where there are no surgical capabilities, medical manage-ment is required. This case illustrates how acute appendicitis in a remote location can be managed medically until surgical resources become available. Case Report A 22-year-old man serving onboard an underway US Navy submarine came to the medical depart-ment complaining of nausea, chills, and right lower quadrant abdominal pain that woke him from sleep. He was afebrile, exhibited peritoneal signs includ-ing tenderness over McBurney’s point, and had a white blood count of 11,200/mL. The patient’s condition was diagnosed as acute appendicitis, an