with 250 000 new cases diagnosed in
the United States every year, appendicitis
is the most common abdominal
emergency.1
Appendicitis occurs
most often between the ages of 10
and 20 years, but no age is exempt. It is more common
in men, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.4:1; the overall
lifetime risk in the U.S. is 8.6% for men and 6.7%
for women.