The Case of the Suffering Sophomore

A 20-year old woman named Lisa Somers walks into the emergency clinic at 1:00 in the afternoon. She appears very uncomfortable and requests to see a doctor right away. Dr. Green is available and requests Lisa to follow her to one of the curtained areas. Lisa tells Dr. Green that she has been experiencing a deep, aching pain in her stomach since the night before. Dr. Green asks her to point to the painful area and Lisa places her hand over her belly button. Lisa also reveals that she has been feeling nauseated and threw up this morning. Dr. Green finds that Lisa is extremely tender in the right lower quadrant of her abdomen and has a slight temperature. She asks Lisa if anyone else in the dormitory that she lives in has been sick lately. Lisa is not sure about everyone but knows that none of her friends have been. Upon further questioning she reveals that she is sexually active but is taking birth control pills and uses condoms. Her last period was two weeks ago. As a precaution, Dr. Green asks Lisa to take a urine pregnancy test. She agrees and the test reveals that she is not pregnant. Dr. Green concludes that Lisa is suffering from acute appendicitis and admits her to the hospital for immediate surgery.

1. Lisa's pain appeared to be located in the right lower quadrant of her abdomen. What other structures are located there that may have been causing the pain?
2. Why was Dr. Green so concerned about the possibility of Lisa being pregnant?
3. Lisa was admitted for immediate surgery to remove her appendix. Why? What might have been the consequences had she not come into the emergency clinic when she did?
4. What did Lisa's slightly elevated temperature indicate?
5. Where is the appendix in relation to the perineum? Why is that significant?
6. The appendix is a part of what component of the digestive system? Name the other sections of this structure.

Inflamed Appendix

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