An appendicular abscess (abscess in the appendix) is a complication of acute appendicitis – invasion of the appendix of the large intestine by bacteria usually due to an obstruction. The appendix exists at the junction of the small and large intestine and is exposed to the movement of digested food, waste matter and is teeming with bacteria. It is therefore prone to becoming blocked and coupled with an infection, acute appendicitis can even be life threatening. An abscess is not the only possible complication. Other complications include gangrene, appendicular masses, rupture and general peritoneal infections. These complications associated with appendicitis is more likely to occur in a patient who delays in seeking medical attention.

What is an appendicular abscess?

An appendicular abscess is a collection of pus resulting from perforation or rupture of acutely inflamed appendix. The pus remains localized close to the appendix, because it is walled off by adhesions formed by the surrounding abdominal structures. This prevents the pus from leaking and the infection spreading throughout the peritoneal cavity.

continue reading Abscess in the Appendix – Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

An abscess in the abdomen (intra-abdominal abscess) is diagnosed by correlating findings on imaging studies with the signs and symptoms present. Read more on symptoms of intra-abdominal abscesses. Other laboratory findings will further confirm the diagnosis.

Laboratory Tests

Blood tests may reveal :

• raised white blood cell counts
• anemia
• abnormal levels of liver enzymes

Absence of these findings, especially in elderly and debilitated patients, does not rule out intra-abdominal abscess completely.

A blood culture is an important investigation in diagnosing intra-abdominal abscess. Multiple bacterial growths found in blood culture or the presence of bacterial species like Bacteroides in a blood culture are highly suggestive of an intra-abdominal abscess. Peritoneal fluid culture and blood culture are also important in choosing the antibiotics for specific antibiotic treatment.

continue reading Intra-Abdominal Abscess Diagnosis, Antibiotics, Drainage, Surgery

Neurological disorders are a diverse group of diseases affecting the brain, spinal cord and nerves. Many neurological symptoms are part of occasional experiences in normal healthy individuals and is not linked to any disease – like pain, dizziness, numbness, muscle twitches, cramps or even tremors. Some neurological disorders can be very mild, causing minimal discomfort, while some can be very serious, life-threatening or debilitating disorders. Benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS) is a less severe but annoying type of neurological disorder. It is sometimes referred as ‘muscle twitching syndrome’ or ‘fasciculation syndrome’ and involves the rapid contraction and relaxation of the muscles.

What is benign fasciculation syndrome (BFS)?

Benign fasciculation syndrome is characterized by occasional or nearly continuous twitching of various skeletal (voluntary) muscles in the body. This type of muscle twitching can also be seen in association with serious disorders like spinal injury, multiple sclerosis (MS) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This can sometimes make benign fasciculation syndrome patients extremely anxious about the twitching due to the similarity of symptoms.

continue reading Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) Constant Muscle Twitching

Palliative care or comfort care is the treatment undertaken to prevent or reduce the symptoms of a life-threatening illness like cancer. It is usually indicated for cases where other therapeutic options have either failed to “cure” the cancer and the case has advanced to the point where any further treatments aimed at “cure” would be fruitless and drastically reduce the patient’s quality of life. Palliative care is therefore for symptomatic relief.

continue reading Palliative (Comfort) Care for Prostate Cancer Patients

An intra-abdominal abscess can develop from a wide variety of causes that lead to an infection of the peritoneal cavity (peritonitis) due to :

1. Direct spread from abdominal organs
   • Acute appendicitis
   • Acute cholecystitis
   • Pancreatitis
   • Pancreatic cyst infection
2. Perforation of abdominal organs
   • Perforation of peptic ulcer
   • Perforation of the colon (perforated bowel)
   • Perforation of diverticulitis
3. Rupture of an abscess in abdominal organs into the peritoneal cavity
   • Rupture of abscess in appendix, spleen and liver, gangrenous gall bladder, gangrene of intestine
4. Penetrating abdominal injury
5. Post-operative infection

continue reading Causes and Symptoms of Intra-Abdominal Abscesses