Presentation and Outcomes of Acute Appendicitis During COVID Pandemic: Lessons Learned From the Middle East (Multicenter Study)

Acute appendicitis (AA) is a frequent cause of acute abdominal pain in emergency rooms around the world [1]. The lifetime risk of developing AA is estimated to be about 8% [1-3]. The SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has raised difficult situations for healthcare systems and organizations around the world, with direct and indirect implications for patient care delivery. COVID-19 causes a wide range of clinical symptoms, including fever, dry cough, myalgia, and exhaustion, with pulmonary involvement in many cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute appendicitis and surgical care is unknown due to a lack of evidence. To see how appendicitis care has changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study compares clinical presentation, investigative modalities, treatment procedures, and outcomes before and after the pandemic. This is a multicenter prospective cohort study that was conducted for patients presented with Acute Appendicitis (AA).