A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of published randomized clinical trials comparing early versus interval appendectomy for children with perforated appendicitis

Purpose Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis on RCTs that compared outcomes in children with perforated appendicitis (PA) who underwent either early appendectomy (EA) or interval appendectomy (IA). We also sought to determine if the presence of an intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) at admission impacted treatment strategy and outcomes.