Outcomes following adoption of a standardized protocol for abscess drain Management in Pediatric Appendicitis

Implementation of a standardized drain management protocol for complicated pediatric appendicitis reduced interventional radiology procedures by 46% (2.4 to 1.3 per patient) without increasing readmissions or hospital length of stay. The protocol eliminated routine fluoroscopic drain studies in favor of clinical assessment and drain output monitoring, potentially reducing radiation exposure and resource utilization while maintaining patient safety.