Antibiotic Instillation in Appendicitis

Appendicitis (inflammation of the wall of the appendix, causing pain and tenderness in the abdomen) has a range of severity that goes from simple to complicated. Complicated appendicitis may present with infected fluid inside of the abdomen or a perforation or hole in the intestines. This research is being done to determine if placing an antibiotic solution in the abdomen at the time the appendix is removed is a safe procedure in patients between the ages of 3 and 18 years old with findings of complicated appendicitis. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital (JHACH)'s current standard of care for patients with complicated appendicitis includes suctioning the infected fluid out of the abdomen at the time the appendix is removed. As part of this study, the investigators would like to see if patients with complicated appendicitis will benefit from routine care plus leaving an antibiotic solution inside the abdomen, after fully suctioning the infected fluid out of the abdomen.