Risk factors associated with complications of acute appendicitis.

Objective: to identify the main risk factors associated with the development of complications in patients with acute appendicitis.

Methods: we conducted a case-control study of 402 patients with acute appendicitis hospitalized in a secondary hospital, divided into two groups: the control group, with 373 patients who progressed without postoperative complications (Group 1) and the study group, with 29 patients who presented complications (Group 2). We evaluated demographic data, signs and symptoms of the disease, imaging tests and hospitalization data.

Results: factors associated with complications were fever, radiological and sonographic changes, abrupt positive decompression and diarrhea. Migration of pain, nausea, vomiting and abrupt positive decompression were the findings that were significantly more frequent in both groups (p = 0.05). The duration of signs and symptoms in days in group 2 was significantly higher than in group 1, with a median of three days for the group with complications (p = 0.05).

Conclusion: alterations in imaging, fever, diarrhea, positive abrupt decompression, duration of symptoms and lower age are associated with a higher frequency of complications in acute appendicitis, which reinforces the importance of anamnesis, physical examination and indication of complementary exams in the approach of these patients.