The appendix is a tricky organ, it's position varies a far bit so not all patients with appendicitis get the classical symptoms (pain that begins as dull around the belly button, then moves to the right lower quadrant add becomes sharp and worse on rebound).
Digital (as in finger) rectal examination is meant to help detect some of the atypical cases. It was part of my teaching, although I haven't read up much on it.
Yeah pressing on the area isn't so bad, but pull your fingers away quickly and oh Jesus!
I had appendicitis when I was 8. It ruptured during the visit to my GP, literally shit blood, rushed off to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Fun times!
I was in there for a few days. The kid in the bed next to me was hard case. Nurse comes to check on him and he goes "yeah I managed to get all the grass out of my cut, and now it's heaps better"
Digital (as in finger) rectal examination is meant to help detect some of the atypical cases. It was part of my teaching, although I haven't read up much on it.
I'm a student doctor.