US scientists say that no matter what season it is, you are more likely to get appendicitis when it is warmer outside.

Acute appendicitis is the most common reason for emergency surgery in many countries. It is also a common cause of abdominal pain. There have been reports of more cases in the summer.

According to the findings of this cohort study, the prevalence of acute appendicitis was not just seasonal but also correlated with higher temperatures.

This cohort study utilized claims information from the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database and the Medicare Supplemental and Coordination of Benefits Database from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2017. The group consisted of people at risk for appendicitis who were enrolled in US insurance plans that submit data to the MarketScan databases.

Researchers observed a link between the incidence of appendicitis and the week’s average temperature. Every 5.56 °C rise in temperature was linked to a higher number of cases of appendicitis, which went up as the temperature did the week before.

This link was clear in both the unadjusted analysis and the analysis that took into account metropolitan statistical areas (MSA), year, and demographic factors.

A biologically plausible inflexion point was found at 10.56 degrees Celsius, where the linear spline that described the role of temperature contained a knot.

Daily highs ranged from 15.56 °C to 21.11 °C, the lower limit of what most people perceive to be warm weather, with a mean temperature of 10.56 °C.

The results of a model using mean temperature were comparable to those of specifications employing mean high or mean low temperatures.

Additionally, scientists discovered that an abnormally high fever on a particular day was linked to an increased risk of appendicitis.

In particular, they found a dose-response pattern that was consistent with the results of the initial analysis when they evaluated temperature deviations from estimates.

Although this type of study cannot prove that temperature increases caused the increase in appendicitis, the researchers say the data support prior reports of greater incidence during the summer months. They anticipate that their findings may aid in understanding how and why appendicitis develops.

Source: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.34269

Image Credit: Getty

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