[Prevention of post appendectomy incision abscess with the use of polyvinilpyrrolidone iodine (prospective study)]. / "Prevención del absceso incisional post-apendicectomía con el uso del lodo polivinil-pirrolidona" (Un estudio prospectivo).

365 appendicectomy cases performed from 1972 to 1976 were studied prospectively. In 135 control cases the wound was not lavaged. In 102 cases the wound was lavaged with normal saline solution. En 108 cases the wound was lavaged with PVP-I. Wound abscess formation rate in the first group was 28.8%, in the second group was 21.35% and in the third group was 18.5%. Patients operated after 1974 and treated with PVP-I showed a 4.2% abscess formation. Morbility and mortality in appendicitis are best reduced if early diagnosis and surgical treatment are backed by a faultless technic.

[Morbidity and mortality of appendicitis]. / "Morbilidad mortalidad de la appendicitis".

A retrospective analysis of the case histories of 238 patients who were hospitalized with acute appendicitis in the Clinical Hospital 60 of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social from 1970 to 1971 revealed the following: 36% of the patients were operated in the earliest stage of acute appendicitis, 21.8% presented with perforated appendix and 32.6% with local and systemic septic complications. The group with perforated appendix presented most frequently with high levels of leucocytes and abscesses in incisions. All the cases of residual abscesses were found in this group and also two deaths were reported. It was interesting to find that routine drenage of the apendicectomy did in result in a decrease in local and systemic complications; in fact, they were found to be increased. Similarly it was found that the irrational use of antibiotics did not prevent abscess formation in the incision in the less seriously ill group and only served to confuse the clinical picture and impede the initiation of opportune treatment. Generally the diagnosis can be established from the clinical picture, but ocasionally it is necessary to operate in order to accurately evaluate the gravity of the lesion.