Abstract: Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Researchers from various countries have evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its diagnosis and treatment, as well as a possible change in its management, such as outpatient treatment. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of acute appendicitis treated during the COVID-19 State of Emergency (SOE) and to assess whether it could be included in an ambulatory surgery program. Methods: Retrospective observational study involving patients treated at public hospitals for appendix diseases (K35-K38). We collected sociodemographic and clinical data. The influence of the lockdown on each variable was evaluated with a multivariate analysis. Results: 201 patients were included. The SOE period group comprised 78 patients, and the pre-SOE period (control) included 123 patients who met the same inclusion criteria. The risk of complicated acute appendicitis increased by 1.015 times with age (p=0.000). The longer surgery time was associated with a 7.265 times higher risk of postsurgical complications (p=0.000). No differences were observed with respect to drain placement (p=0.281), although the percentage was higher in 2020 (13.9% vs 19.7%). The length of hospital stay decreased significantly during the lockdown (p=0.017). Conclusion: The lockdown did not influence the outcome of complicated acute appendicitis from the standpoint of morbidity and mortality, reducing the hospital stay, facilitating the path towards outpatient treatment.

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