Alternative therapy for acute appendicitis with appendicolith using traditional Chinese medicine: A case report

• Published in: Explore (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2024-09, Vol.20 (5), p.102977, Article 102977
• Main Authors: Wang, Shih-Han, Ou, Shi-Chen, Lin, Ting-Yen, Chang, Tung-Ti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aconite; Acute appendicitis; Coix; Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM); Patrinia decoction; Prolonged prothrombin time; Rhubarb and Moutan decoction; Traditional Chinese medicine
• ISSN: 1550-8307; 1878-7541; 1878-7541
• DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2024.01.003

•Traditional Chinese medicine combined with antibiotics offers a viable treatment for elderly patients, specifically beneficial for those with multiple underlying diseases.•Traditional Chinese herbal medicines possessing anti-inflammatory properties are advantageous in controlling infection within the appendicitis condition.•Additionally, they contribute to the enhancement of the local gastrointestinal environment.•This approach is effective even for cases with a high HAS-BLED score or prolonged prothrombin time. Treating older patients with acute appendicitis with multiple underlying diseases is a challenging situation in the clinical setting. Throughout the history of East Asian medicine, many texts have noted the use of herbal decoctions to successfully treat symptoms associated with appendicitis, thereby providing an alternative management strategy for treating frail patients with acute appendicitis. This report presents the case of a 93-year-old male diagnosed with acute appendicitis with appendicolith who was unsuitable for surgical intervention due to poor lung condition and prolonged prothrombin time caused by Apixaban. By receiving complementary therapy consisting of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and antibiotics, he recovered successfully. In the early stage of acute appendicitis, infection control and gastrointestinal mobility are the most important factors to consider. Scientific research has demonstrated that many herbs used in TCM formulas possess anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and immune attenuation effects. For many patients who are unsuitable for surgical intervention due to unfavorable conditions, such as the prolonged prothrombin time presented in this case, complementary treatment with TCM offers adjuvant therapeutical effects associated with infection control, and improvement of the gastrointestinal environment and function of elderly patients.