When appendicitis is suspected because of symptoms exhibited by the patient, a health care provider should be notified immediately. The patient should lie down and remain as quiet as possible. It is best to give him nothing by mouth, and because of the danger of aggravating the condition and possibly causing rupture of the appendix, cathartics and laxatives are contraindicated. Applications of heat and the administration of laxatives or enemas are contraindicated for the same reasons. During the preoperative phase it may be necessary to hydrate the patient with intravenous fluid therapy, especially when there has been prolonged nausea and vomiting.
Postoperative care is usually uneventful unless the appendix has ruptured.
This is a very serious condition that warrants diligent and aggressive nursing care to overcome the effects of peritonitis with the resultant shifting of body fluids, hypovolemia, and septic shock. The most serious threat to life is the blood volume deficit. Antibacterial drugs are administered to combat the infection. Gastric and intestinal decompression is maintained, and most surgeons advocate intraperitoneal draining by means of Penrose drains. This is done in an attempt to prevent the formation of abscesses and to promote healing.