Journal Club #10 – Tuesday 9th March 2021, 19:00-20:00 GMT.
You can read a summary of the journal club.
Chair: Kinseng Tong @kinsengt
Kinseng is a Core Surgical Trainee in the Wessex deanery. He graduated from Oxford University in 2018 and completed his foundation training in Cumbria. During his training he has developed an interest in evidence-based medicine and plastic surgery. He has written several publications and presented at international conferences. Through this role he hopes to encourage a wider audience, particularly junior trainees, to incorporate the latest research evidence in their daily practice.
Title:
Antibiotic therapy vs appendectomy for treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis - the APPAC randomized clinical trial
Background to the discussion:
Appendectomy has been the mainstay treatment for acute appendicitis. However, a conservative approach with antibiotics alone has also been reported with good success rates. The global Covid-19 pandemic has impacted on surgical practice in many ways, one of which is a return to antibiotic therapy alone in the treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. In this journal club we considered the APPAC randomised clinical trial, which compares antibiotic therapy versus appendectomy for the treatment of uncomplicated acute appendicitis. We evaluated this study using the CONSORT checklist. Is this study reliable? What factors affect its internal validity? Is it generalisable?
Critical appraisal is a key skill, not just for doctors but for all healthcare staff. This journal club was intended for any level of healthcare professional, students and anyone with an interest in evidence-based medicine. We practised a systematic approach to critical appraisal and highlighted some of the foundational concepts in randomised controlled trial (RCT) methodology.
Journal Clubs can be joined by using the hashtag #CochraneTrainees and following CochraneUK