Background: In many centers of pediatric care, treatment for complicated appendicitis includes appendectomy followed by the use of parenteral broad spectrum antibiotics by. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the possibility of use of oral antibiotics during the postoperative period in children with complicated acute appendicitis, after a short administration of intravenous antibiotics.
Methods: This study shows the initial results of a controlled clinical trial on the use of postoperative sequential antibiotics (i.v. and oral) in children treated for complicated acute appendicitis.
Results: Between August and November 2009, 29 children were diagnosed and treated for complicated acute appendicitis in the Department of Pediatric Surgery. Of these children, 27 were included in the study. Twelve children received sequential postoperative antibiotic therapy (i.v. and oral) and 15 were treated according to the conventional scheme. The length of hospital stay was 3.61 days in the group children with sequential treatment, whereas in the group treated conventionally the hospital stay was 6.86 days. Costs were $256.56 USD in the group with sequential treatment with an increase of $581.99 USD for the group treated conventionally.
Conclusions: Initial results show a shorter hospital stay and lower costs for the group of children with sequential postoperative antimicrobial therapy.