A 79-year-old man has had abdominal pain for 4 days. An operation is performed, and a gangrenous appendix is removed. The stump is inverted. Why does acute appendicitis in elderly patients and in children have a worse prognosis?
The omentum and peritoneal cavity seem to be less efficient in localizing the disease in these age groups. Appendicitis has a particularly high-complication rate in infants and the elderly. Delay in establishing the accurate diagnosis in these two age groups also contributes to a worse prognosis.