Nursing Care Plan for Appendicitis
Also searched as: inflamed appendix
🎓 Educational example. Adapt to your patient and have your instructor review it. Not medical advice.
Inflammation of the appendix, a surgical emergency risking rupture. Nursing care manages pain and prepares for surgery while watching for perforation.
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Assessment
- Subjective: periumbilical pain migrating to the right lower quadrant (McBurney's point), nausea
- Objective: RLQ tenderness, rebound, low-grade fever, elevated WBC
Nursing diagnoses
As evidenced by: RLQ pain, rebound tenderness, elevated WBC
Goals / expected outcomes
- The patient will have pain managed and proceed safely to treatment without complications of rupture.
Nursing interventions & rationale
| Intervention | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Assess pain and monitor for signs of rupture (sudden relief then worsening, rigid abdomen, high fever). | Rupture causes peritonitis — a life-threatening emergency. |
| Keep NPO and prepare for appendectomy; give IV fluids/antibiotics as ordered. | Prepares for surgery and controls infection. |
| Manage pain; avoid heat to the abdomen and unprescribed laxatives. | Heat and laxatives can promote rupture. |
| Provide post-op care and education if surgery is done. | Supports recovery. |
Evaluation
- Pain managed
- No rupture/peritonitis
- Safe surgical course
Stop rewriting care plans by hand
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Build a care plan free Preview Pro (coming soon)Appendicitis care plan: FAQ
What is the nursing diagnosis for Appendicitis?
Common nursing diagnoses include: Acute pain related to appendiceal inflammation. Choose the one your patient's assessment data supports.
What are nursing interventions for Appendicitis?
Key interventions: Assess pain and monitor for signs of rupture (sudden relief then worsening, rigid abdomen, high fever).; Keep NPO and prepare for appendectomy; give IV fluids/antibiotics as ordered.; Manage pain; avoid heat to the abdomen and unprescribed laxatives. — each paired with a rationale.
Can I use this care plan for my assignment?
Use it as a study example and starting draft. Always adapt it to your specific patient and have it reviewed by your instructor. This is an educational tool, not medical advice.
For nursing education only — NOT medical advice and not a clinical decision-making tool. Nothing here should be used to assess, diagnose, or treat any real patient. Care plans and answers are unverified study drafts to review with your instructor or a licensed clinician and adapt to the individual patient and your institution’s protocols before any use.
Last reviewed 2026-07. Educational content based on standard nursing practice; not medical advice and not affiliated with NANDA-I/NIC/NOC. Always follow your institution's protocols and your instructor's guidance.