Downing Fellow collaborates on new global surgical guidelines for acute appendicitis
Justin Davies, Fellow in Clinical Medicine, has contributed to new global guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis published by The World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES). Justin is a board member of the WSES and contributed to this work as a named author.
Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide and a leading cause of emergency hospital admissions and operations. Despite its frequency, substantial variability persists in diagnosis and management across patient populations and healthcare settings.
The purpose of the guidelines is to provide updated, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis in adults, children, pregnant women, patients aged over 65 years and immunocompromised individuals.
The updated guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis, with the aim to standardise practice, reduce unwarranted variability, and support safe, effective, and patient-centred care across diverse populations and healthcare systems.
Further details can be found in the JAMA Surgery Journal.
Justin has contributed to other guidelines across the world and also to those specific to United Kingdom healthcare, where he has worked with The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on guidelines for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer and for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in detecting precancerous polyps during colonoscopy procedures.
Published 4 February 2026