Intra-abdominal infections in the elderly: diagnosis and management.

With appendicitis, elderly patients commonly delay 2 or 3 days after symptoms begin before seeking medical attention, the patient often attributing the abdominal discomfort to indigestion, "gas," or constipation. Reduced gastric acidity secondary to gastric surgery, aging, or medications can increase susceptibility to many enteric pathogens, leading to a higher risk of infectious diarrhea.