Examination

The patient can looked flushed, dehydrated and have a furred dry tongue with bad breath. They may also have a fever and slight tachycardia. Patients with perforated appendicitis are more likely to have a high temperature (>38.5) than those with uncomplicated appendicitis.

Abdominal examination

Patients are in pain, want to lie still and may have tenderness in the RIF, maximal over McBurney's point which lies one-third of the way along an imaginary line from the anterior superior iliac spine to the umbilicus, and indicates where the inflamed appendix normally lies.