Appendicitis

Diagnosis

Your doctor will review your medical history, especially your history of digestive illnesses. Your doctor also will ask about your current digestive symptoms, including details about your most recent bowel movements: timing, frequency, character (watery or hard), and whether the stool was streaked with blood or mucus.

Your doctor will examine you and will check for pain in your lower right abdomen. If the patient is a child, the doctor will look to see whether the child holds his or her hands over the navel when asked where it hurts. In an infant, flexed hips (knees held toward the chest) and a tender abdomen can be important clues to the diagnosis.

After the physical examination, your doctor will order blood tests to check for signs of infection and a urinalysis to rule out a urinary tract problem. Your doctor may order an ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan to help confirm the diagnosis. In very young children, a chest X-ray may be needed to rule out pneumonia.

Expected Duration

Most patients will seek medical attention within 12 to 48 hours because of the abdominal pain. In some cases, a low level of inflammation exists for several weeks before a diagnosis is made.