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The Appendix Is A Safe Haven For The Normal Flora Of The Gut Essay

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Patho The appendix is a small finger like attachment hooked to the cecum of the large intestine in the lower right portion of the abdomen. It has long been regarded as useless in today’s population, a “hanger on,” from a time of the past when it served some unknown function. Due to a lack of symptoms after its removal, that theory has been generally accepted. There are, however, theories developing that the appendix is used as a safe haven for the normal flora of the gut. These theories claim that when the good bacteria that normally prevent the infestation of pathogenic bacteria is washed out, the good bacteria housed in the appendix repopulates the intestines in order to prevent further bowel disruption (http://www.nature.com/ajg/journal/v111/n2/full/ajg2015301a.html) Regardless of the appendix’s unique purpose in the body when it becomes inflamed and infected the main treatment is removal. Inflammation of the appendix is most commonly seen in the young population between the ages of 10 and 30 years of age. Despite this, acute appendicitis can happen at any age from infancy to geriatric. Appendicitis occurs more in males in the ages of 10-20 years, but the distribution between male and females is even in all other ages (Schub, T., & Kornusky, J. (2016). Appendicitis, Acute. CINAHL Nursing Guide) Risk factors for appendicitis include chronic bowel disorders such as ulcerative colitis and Chrons disease. Eating a diet too low fiber can also be a contributor

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