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When Late Show host Stephen Colbert returned to set this week for the first time since before Thanksgiving, he shared the story behind the show’s hiatus –a self-deprecating tale about ignoring the symptoms of appendicitis. Having felt unwell when he got home from the previous night’s show, Colbert woke up the next morning in “abdominal agony.” But figuring the pain would pass, he headed to work and taped two episodes. When, feverish and shaking, he finally went to a hospital, surgeons found that the comedian’s appendix had burst. They removed the appendix and “power washed,” as he says, the inside of his abdomen, but not before the infection from the ruptured organ poisoned his blood.
Colbert didn’t say at what point doctors believed the rupture occurred, but there’s a good chance if he had gone to a hospital at the first sign of unusual pain, much of his agony could have been avoided. Appendicitis – inflammation of the appendix due to a bacterial infection – occurs in 5% to 9%of people, and can happen at any age. It’s typically treated by removing the appendix as soon as possible, before the infection leads to a rupture.
But how are you supposed to tell that sudden abdominal pain is worth a trip to the ER, and not constipation, a stomach virus, or any other more common cause?
It turns out there’s a simple test most of us can do at home, as NPR’s Selena Simmons-Duffin reports. When she called the pediatrician’s office concerned about her daughter’s stomach pain, the doctor said Simmons-Duffin should get the 5-year-old to jump. If she doubled up in pain, that’s a sign she could have appendicitis. Jennifer Shu, a pediatrician based in Atlanta, says the “jump test” has about a 70% likelihood of predicting appendicitis, and confirmed that it works for adults too. Dr. Shu also told NPR about some other simple ways to assess your kid, or yourself for appendicitis. If you do go to the ER, hospital staff can use blood tests and imaging to make a diagnosis.
Learn why the jump test works, and when it’s time to get to a hospital.
Plus: Without time to compare prices, an appendectomy patient gets stuck with a $42,000 surgery bill |
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Ashley Milne-Tyte/for NPR |
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Time can often pose a major obstacle to health care. How are you supposed to sit on hold with your health insurance company when you spend your days at a busy job or taking care of young children? The challenge mounts when you’re responsible for the care of an elderly parent or a family member with complex medical conditions. Even if you’re not assisting them physically, figuring out things like medication schedules, in-home health risks, and of course medical paperwork can be overwhelming.
Private care management businesses have emerged to fill these gaps, as Ashley Milne-Tyte reports. These professionals help elders and people with disabilities be safe and healthy at home, and they coordinate medical care. New York City nurse Anne Sansevero founded one such company – HealthSense – with an eye towards preventing the multiple re-admissions she saw while working at hospitals.
Lisa Dow of Austin, Texas, describes her mother’s care manager as "the outside third party who could come in and at times probably had a little bit more patience with my mom than my sisters and I did.” The manager has helped Dow’s mother navigate home when she got lost driving, and convinced her to move to an independent living facility.
Would a private care manager fit your budget – and would the personalized care be worth the price? Find out more.
Also: 'Hospital-at-home' trend means family members must be caregivers — ready or not
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We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism online.
All the best and happy holidays,
Andrea Muraskin and your NPR health editors |
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