The Global Burden of Appendicitis in 204 Countries and Territories from 1990 to 2019

OBJECTIVE: Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency. This study aimed to estimate the worldwide burden and trends of appendicitis from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: Data on appendicitis were derived from the Global Burden of Disease 2019. Incidence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) data were analyzed at global, regional, and national levels and stratified by sex, age, and socio-demographic index. The estimated annual percentage change and relative change were used to assess changing trends. Pearson’s correlation test was used to assess the correlation between different measures. RESULTS: Global incidence grew by 63.55% between 1990 and 2019, age-standardized incidence rate climbed by an estimated percentage change of 0.58 per year, whereas the number of DALY declined by 31.93% during the same period, with an estimated annual percentage change of −2.77. In 2019, the areas of Andean Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest age-standardized rates of incidence and DALYs. While South Asia saw the largest increase in age-standardized incidence rates, Andean Latin America saw the biggest decline in age-standardized rates of incidence and DALYs. At the national level, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Peru were the top three countries in terms of age-standardized incidence rates in 2019, and Honduras, Haiti, and the Central African Republic held the highest age-standardized DALY rates. Ethiopia experienced the most age-standardized incidence rate increase, and Peru saw the largest decline in age-standardized rate of incidence and DALYs. Significant negative correlations between age-standardized DALY rates and socio-demographic index, between estimated annual percentage change and age-standardized incidence rates, were observed at the national level. CONCLUSION: Appendicitis remains a major global health concern. Although the trends in DALYs decreased, the burden of incidence increased from 1990 to 2019. Policymakers should create health policies adapted to local conditions to manage the burden of appendicitis globally.