How Much Time Have You Got?

In the bad old days, people seemed to die from a burst appendix quite regularly. And the charge was often made that ‘they’ hadn’t got the patient to a surgeon quickly enough. But just how long does it take for an appendix to become over-ripe and burst? A survey of hospital records in New York provides an answer.

The frequency of rupture was low (less than 2%) in those patients with surgery within the first 36 hours after the onset of symptoms, but it increased to 5% in the ensuing 12 hours, and remained at 5% after that. In addition to the duration of symptoms, age over 65, fever, and fast heart rate were additional risk factors for rupture.

What about other conditions where time is critical? There are many – cerebral anoxia (lack of oxygen reaching the brain) from any cause is the most lethal, of course. Heart attack, anaphylactic shock (acute allergic reaction) . . . But one where a lay person can help most is by recognizing the signs of a stroke and getting the patient to the Emergency Room as quickly as possible.