Stephen Colbert Returns to Late Night Show After Ruptured Appendix

• Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter
• December 13, 2023
• Full Page

Comedian Stephen Colbert returned to his popular late night talk show this week after recovering from a ruptured appendix he suffered roughly three weeks ago.

During his monologue on Monday, the talk sh...

Study Finds Good Long-Term Outcomes for Appendicitis Treated Without Surgery

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• August 10, 2023
• Full Page

Most people with appendicitis who are given antibiotics — instead of having their appendix removed — fare well over the long haul, new research indicates.

The conclusion follows roughly two decades spent tracking patient outcomes in Sweden.

The study found that...

Appendicitis Often Spotted Later in Black Patients

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• January 18, 2023
• Full Page

While appendicitis is a common emergency, Black people experiencing its symptoms more often have a delayed diagnosis.

But that doesn't happen in lower-quality hospitals that serve more Black patients, according to new research. There, Black people are diagnosed more quic...

Cancer Can Strike the Appendix, Too

• March 22, 2022
• Full Page

What appears to be appendicitis can actually be cancer of the appendix in some cases, especially in patients under the age of 50, a new study suggests.

While antibiotics can be used instead of surgery to treat acute appendicitis, patients who receive antibiotics should b...

Low-Dose CT Scans Can Diagnose Appendicitis

• Robert Preidt
• November 15, 2021
• Full Page

CT scans expose patients to radiation even as they help doctors spot serious health problems. Now a new study finds low-dose scans can readily spot appendicitis while reducing patients' radiation exposure.

"The results of this study suggest that the diagnostic CT scan ra...

Smoking Rates High Among Surgery Patients

• Robert Preidt
• March 29, 2021
• Full Page

U.S. surgery patients have a high rate of smoking, which could be one reason why some wind up on the operating table, researchers say.

A look at nearly 329,000 Michigan residents who had common surgical procedures between 2012 and 2019 found that nearly a quarter had smo...

Pandemic Causing Dangerous Delays in Care When Appendicitis Strikes Kids

• Amy Norton
• December 7, 2020
• Full Page

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors became concerned that people were delaying needed medical care to avoid hospitals. Now a new study hints that some parents may have waited to get emergency treatment for their children's appendicitis.

Appendicitis is a painful infl...

Antibiotics May Be Best First Treatment for Appendicitis

• Steven Reinberg
• October 6, 2020
• Full Page

For some patients suffering from appendicitis, antibiotics may do the trick, a large U.S. trial suggests.

More than 70% of patients who received antibiotics avoided surgery for at least 90 days, according to the new report.

"When we compared the outco...

Measles Complications Can Affect Every Organ: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 18, 2020
• Full Page

Hepatitis, appendicitis and viral meningitis are among the serious complications that can occur when you get the measles, doctors warn in a new report.

The study -- which outlines cases involving three adults who developed major complications -- is also a reminder of...

Does Removing Your Appendix Put You at Risk for Parkinson's?

• Alan Mozes
• May 9, 2019
• Full Page

It's a connection few have probably considered, but new research suggests that having your appendix removed may up your risk for Parkinson's disease down the road.

The finding follows an analysis that examined health records for roughly 62 million patients. Of these,...