ABSTRACT
The evaluation of the pregnant patient must weigh the risks and benefits of diagnostic methodology and therapy not only on the mother, but the fetus as well. Complicating care is the fact that the normal physiologic and anatomic changes that occur in pregnancy may make it difficult to interpret signs usually used in early diagnosis of emergency conditions. The delay in diagnosis and treatment of the surgical abdomen in the pregnant patient because of fear of unnecessary procedures and tests contributes to the high complication rate in this patient population. Acute appendicitis is the most common non-obstetric surgical emergency during pregnancy. The diagnosis is more frequently missed in pregnant than in non-pregnant patients, because signs and symptoms of appendicitis, such as leukocytosis, nausea, and vomiting, are also commonly seen during pregnancy. Maternal morbidity is usually the result of a delay in diagnosis.
