Many patients with suspected appendicitis are having their treatment delayed beyond 24 hours, which can be dangerous for them and costly for the health service, a new Irish study has found.

According to doctors based at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise, acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies seen by medics. However, because it is seen so often, ‘it has become one of the most commonly postponed surgical procedures'.

The doctors noted that research in the 1990s suggested the possible benefits of a ‘wait and see' approach for patients with suspected appendicitis. However, recent work ‘has debunked this notion and has shown the importance of prompt treatment'.

Increasing the time between emergency department (ED) admission and the removal of the appendix (appendectomy) has been shown to increase the risk of negative outcomes, including complications after surgery.

The doctors decided to investigate whether such delays were occurring in an Irish setting. They looked at 50 patients who had undergone an appendectomy for acute appendicitis at the Midlands Regional Hospital between December 2012 and September 2013.

The group was made up of 21 males and 29 females. Fourteen were children. Half of the patients underwent an early appendectomy - in other words, within 24 hours of admission - while half of the patients underwent a delayed appendectomy - they were left waiting longer than 24 hours.

The study found that the time between admission and the operation did ‘not compare favourably with international benchmarks'.

"Despite a relatively small sample size of 50 patients, it is evident that a large proportion of patients with suspected appendicitis are having their treatment delayed beyond 24 hours," the doctors said.

They pointed out that this is a ‘potentially dangerous practice which not only increases the risk for negative outcomes, but also increases the financial burden on hospital services'.

They suggested that increasing theatre availability outside of normal working hours would help to alleviate this issue.

They also recommended focusing on improving junior doctors' ‘diagnostic skillset' in this area.

Details of this study are published in the journal, Hospital Doctor of Ireland.