A rupture spreads infection throughout your abdomen (peritonitis). Possibly life-threatening, this condition requires immediate surgery to remove the appendix and clean your abdominal cavity. A pocket of pus that forms in the abdomen. If your appendix bursts, you may develop a pocket of infection (abscess).

Why is a ruptured appendix a medical emergency?

An inflamed or infected appendix can rupture, causing contaminated material to spread throughout the abdominal cavity. The resulting severe infection, called peritonitis, creates further complications that can become life threatening.

What are the chances of surviving a ruptured appendix?

Prognosis for Appendicitis

Without surgery or antibiotics (as might occur in a person in a remote location without access to modern medical care), more than 50% of people with appendicitis die. For a ruptured appendix, the prognosis is more serious. Decades ago, a rupture was often fatal.