MODEL RELEASED. Test for appendicitis. General practice doctor uses his fingers to feel the side of the abdomen of a man lying on a bed. The man is asked if he feels pain. The technique, called palpation, enables the doctor to feel whether the appendix is inflamed, indicating appendicitis. Other organs such as the liver may also be examined in this way. Appendicitis is an acute inflammation of the appendix, a small branch in the large intestine. If untreated the appendix can burst, causing infection of the lining of the abdomen (peritonitis). The usual treatment for appendicitis is surgery to remove the diseased appendix (appendicectomy).