Shortened Course of Amoxicillin/Clavulanate is Preferred Antibiotic Treatment After Surgery for Perforated Appendicitis in Children

Retrospective study of 4,916 pediatric perforated appendicitis cases found no difference in 45-day readmission rates between shortened (5-8 days) versus prolonged (10-14 days) antibiotic courses. Despite evidence supporting shorter treatment, 73-78% of patients still received prolonged regimens, prompting recommendation for shortened amoxicillin-clavulanate as preferred outpatient therapy.