Background:

complicated acute appendicitis is the first cause of secondary peritonitis in the pediatric age.

Objective:

to characterize patients treated for complicated acute appendicitis.

Methods:

a descriptive, cross-sectional study was performed in patients treated for complicated acute appendicitis. The universe consisted of 166 patients and all were included in the study. The variables used were: age, sex, surgical access route (open or laparoscopic), intraoperative findings, including the stage of the disease and the position of the cecal appendix; used antimicrobial agents, hospital stay and complications.

Results:

most of the patients were between 10 to 14 years old, and more than a half were male. Most of appendectomies were performed by an open technique. The most frequent position of the cecal appendix was posterior mesoceliac, and in more than a half of the patients the organ was perforated. The most used antimicrobial therapy included ceftriaxone, amikacin and metronidazole. The hospital stay rated from 4 to 6 days in most of the cases. The most frequent postoperative complication was surgical wound infection.

Conclusions:

male patients, between 10 and 14 years old were more frequent. The cecal appendix was mainly found perforated and in posterior mesoceliac position. With the surgical and antimicrobial treatment used, the hospital stay was short, with few complications, among which the surgical wound infection was the most frequent. The results in the few patients treated by minimal access surgery suggest that this approach may be extended in children with complicated appendicitis.

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