Table 1. Search Terms Used in PubMed and Embase Searches.

Database	Search terms
PubMed	“Appendectomy”[MAJR] AND “Appendicitis/drug therapy”[MAJR]
Embase	‘appendicitis’/exp OR appendicitis AND (‘antibiotics’/exp OR antibiotics) AND [adult]/lim AND (‘clinical trial’/de OR ‘comparative study’/de OR ‘controlled clinical trial’/de OR ‘controlled study’/de OR ‘multicenter study’/de OR ‘randomized controlled trial’/de) AND (‘acute appendicitis’/de OR ‘appendicitis’/de) AND (‘drug therapy’/lnk OR ‘surgery’/lnk) AND ([aged]/lim OR [middle aged]/lim OR [very elderly]/lim OR [young adult]/lim)

Database

Search terms

PubMed

“Appendectomy”[MAJR] AND “Appendicitis/drug therapy”[MAJR]

Embase

‘appendicitis’/exp OR appendicitis AND (‘antibiotics’/exp OR antibiotics) AND [adult]/lim AND (‘clinical trial’/de OR ‘comparative study’/de OR ‘controlled clinical trial’/de OR ‘controlled study’/de OR ‘multicenter study’/de OR ‘randomized controlled trial’/de) AND (‘acute appendicitis’/de OR ‘appendicitis’/de) AND (‘drug therapy’/lnk OR ‘surgery’/lnk) AND ([aged]/lim OR [middle aged]/lim OR [very elderly]/lim OR [young adult]/lim)