Question

Discuss why the incidence of appendicitis is greater during the second trimester.

Answer 1

              Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix which is the most common surgical problem encountered during the pregnancy. Acute appendicitis is diagnosed with a high incidence in the Second trimester of pregnancy. Appendicitis in pregnancy is highly risk for serious complications and morbidity.

             The incidence of appendicitis is higher during the first six months especially in the second trimester. The common symptom for appendicitis is abdominal pain. In pregnancy also, the patient will feel pain in the abdominal region which is quite common in all pregnancies. Also other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting will make the appendicitis very difficult to diagnose accurately because these symptoms are also the common symptoms in pregnancy.

            When the gestation age will increase, the pain in the abdomen will radiate to the upper right side of the abdomen and the location of the appendix will change. In general, people pain will feel on the lower right quadrant abdomen but the pregnant people will feel the pain in the upper right side of the abdomen.

           The appendicitis can be identified more easily during the second trimester. During pregnancy, the pain will shift upward towards the upper right quadrant after the first trimester. This symptom will help to diagnose the presence of appendicitis in the second trimester and that’s why the incidence of appendicitis is higher in the second trimester.