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Vevaud K, Dallocchio A, Dumoitier N, Laspougeas A, Labrunie A, Belgacem A, Fourcade L, Ballouhey Q. A prospective study to evaluate the contribution of the pediatric appendicitis score in the decision process. BMC Pediatr 2024; 24:131. [PMID: 38373918 PMCID: PMC10875762 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-04619-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to assess the likelihood of acute appendicitis (AA) in children presenting with abdominal symptoms at the emergency department (ED), based on their prior primary care (PC) consultation history. METHODS Between February and June 2021, we prospectively enrolled all children presenting at the ED with acute abdominal pain indicative of possible acute appendicitis (AA). Subsequently, they were categorized into three groups: those assessed by a PC physician (PG), those brought in by their family without a prior consultation (FG), and those admitted after a PC consultation without being assessed as such. The primary objective was to assess the probability of AA diagnosis using the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS). Secondary objectives included analyzing PAS and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels based on the duration of pain and final diagnoses. RESULTS 124 children were enrolled in the study (PG, n = 56; FG, n = 55; NG, n = 13). Among them, 29 patients (23.4%) were diagnosed with AA, with 13 cases (23.2%) from the PG and 14 cases (25.4%) from the FG. The mean PAS scores for AA cases from the PG and FG were 6.69 ± 1.75 and 7.57 ± 1.6, respectively, (p = 0.3340). Both PAS scores and CRP levels showed a significant correlation with AA severity. No cases of AA were observed with PAS scores < 4. CONCLUSIONS There was no significant difference in PAS scores between patients addressed by PG and FG, even though PAS scores tended to be higher for patients with AA. We propose a new decision-making algorithm for PC practice, which incorporates inflammatory markers and pain duration. TRIAL REGISTRATION Institutional Ethics Committee registration number: 447-2021-103 (10/01/2021). CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04885335 (Registered on 13/05/2021).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Vevaud
- Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Hôpital des Enfants, Hôpital Universitaire de Limoges, 8 Avenue Dominique Larrey, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France
| | - Aymeric Dallocchio
- Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Hôpital des Enfants, Hôpital Universitaire de Limoges, 8 Avenue Dominique Larrey, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France
| | - Nathalie Dumoitier
- Département universitaire de médecine Générale, Faculté de médecine de Limoges, 2 rue du Docteur Marcland, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France
| | - Alban Laspougeas
- Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Hôpital des Enfants, Hôpital Universitaire de Limoges, 8 Avenue Dominique Larrey, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France
| | - Anaïs Labrunie
- Biostatistics and Research Methodology (CEBIMER), Limoges University Hospital, 2 rue du Docteur Marcland, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France
| | - Alexis Belgacem
- Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Hôpital des Enfants, Hôpital Universitaire de Limoges, 8 Avenue Dominique Larrey, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France
| | - Laurent Fourcade
- Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Hôpital des Enfants, Hôpital Universitaire de Limoges, 8 Avenue Dominique Larrey, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France
| | - Quentin Ballouhey
- Service de chirurgie pédiatrique, Hôpital des Enfants, Hôpital Universitaire de Limoges, 8 Avenue Dominique Larrey, Limoges Cedex, 87042, France.
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Nandan R, Samie AU, Acharya SK, Goel P, Jain V, Dhua AK, Khan MA, Yadav DK. Pediatric Appendicitis Score or Ultrasonography? In Search of a Better Diagnostic Tool in Indian Children with Lower Abdominal Pain. Indian J Pediatr 2023; 90:1204-1209. [PMID: 35794512 DOI: 10.1007/s12098-022-04226-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To prospectively assess the performance of pediatric appendicitis score (PAS) in diagnosing acute appendicitis in the children with lower abdominal pain and correlated with ultrasound findings; and to assess the impact of the PAS on clinical outcome and its efficacy in differentiating between complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis. METHODS A prospective study was done which included cases of lower abdominal pain. Appendectomy was done for PAS ≥ 6, and diagnosis was confirmed on histopathology. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was created to assess the PAS performance. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasonography in diagnosing appendicitis were assessed, and analysis of agreement between ultrasonography and PAS score was done by kappa statistics. RESULTS Of 260 cases with lower abdominal pain, 205 were suspected of having appendicitis. One hundred fifty-nine had PAS ≥ 6. There were 2/159 (1.26%) cases of negative appendectomies and 2/46 (4.34%) cases of missed appendicitis. The mean PAS was significantly higher in patients with appendicitis than in those without appendicitis. The area under the ROC curve was 0.9925. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of PAS were 98.74%, 95.65%, 95.7% and 95.65%, respectively. Complicated appendicitis had significantly more PAS, fever, and cough tenderness than uncomplicated appendicitis. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography were 86.79% and 17.39%, respectively. Agreement between ultrasonography-proven appendicitis and PAS-dependent appendicitis was weak. CONCLUSION PAS has high efficacy in diagnosing acute appendicitis. Clinical outcome was more favorable with the use of PAS. Ultrasonography should be used judiciously and in combination with clinical judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruchira Nandan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Amat Us Samie
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Samir Kant Acharya
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India
| | - Prabudh Goel
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Vishesh Jain
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Anjan Kumar Dhua
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India
| | - Maroof Ahmad Khan
- Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Devendra Kumar Yadav
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029, India.
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Stewart S, Cruz-Centeno N, Marlor DR, St Peter SD, Oyetunji TA. Bridging the Gap: Pediatric General Surgery for the Pediatrician. Pediatr Rev 2023; 44:632-643. [PMID: 37907417 DOI: 10.1542/pir.2022-005894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
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Shikha A, Kasem A. The Development and Validation of Artificial Intelligence Pediatric Appendicitis Decision-Tree for Children 0 to 12 Years Old. Eur J Pediatr Surg 2023; 33:395-402. [PMID: 36113502 DOI: 10.1055/a-1946-0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diagnosing appendicitis in young children (0-12 years) still poses a special difficulty despite the advent of radiological investigations. Few scoring models have evolved and been applied worldwide, but with significant fluctuations in accuracy upon validation. AIM To utilize artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to develop and validate a diagnostic model based on clinical and laboratory parameters only (without imaging), in addition to prospective validation to confirm the findings. METHODS In Stage-I, observational data of children (0-12 years), referred for acute appendicitis (March 1, 2016-February 28, 2019, n = 166), was used for model development and evaluation using 10-fold cross-validation (XV) technique to simulate a prospective validation. In Stage-II, prospective validation of the model and the XV estimates were performed (March 1, 2019-November 30, 2021, n = 139). RESULTS The developed model, AI Pediatric Appendicitis Decision-tree (AiPAD), is both accurate and explainable, with an XV estimation of average accuracy to be 93.5% ± 5.8 (91.4% positive predictive value [PPV] and 94.8% negative predictive value [NPV]). Prospective validation revealed that the model was indeed accurate and close to the XV evaluations, with an overall accuracy of 97.1% (96.7% PPV and 97.4% NPV). CONCLUSION The AiPAD is validated, highly accurate, easy to comprehend, and offers an invaluable tool to use in diagnosing appendicitis in children without the need for imaging. Ultimately, this would lead to significant practical benefits, improved outcomes, and reduced costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anas Shikha
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital, Jalan Putera Al-Muhtadee Billah, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
| | - Asem Kasem
- Computer Information Science, Higher Colleges of Technology, UAE
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Raeisi R, Azizi M, Amiri J, Ghorbanpour M, Esna-Ashari F. Accuracy Evaluation of Pediatric Appendicitis Scoring (PAS) Method in Differentiating Nonspecific Abdominal Pain from Appendicitis. Int J Prev Med 2023; 14:40. [PMID: 37351062 PMCID: PMC10284213 DOI: 10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_539_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed at evaluating the accuracy of the pediatric appendicitis scoring method in differentiating nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) from appendicitis. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 391 children who were hospitalized in the emergency ward due to acute abdominal pain suspected of appendicitis . Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS), C-reactive protein (CRP), and appendicitis pathology results of patients undergoing surgery were recorded. Results The results showed that the no significant difference was found among patients in the three experimental groups (appendicitis, specific abdominal pain except appendicitis, and NSAP) with respect to temperature (p = 0.212), but the other variables were significantly different. Findings showed that high CRP frequency, pain migration to right lower quadrant (RLQ), tenderness in right iliac fossa (RIF), anorexia, leukocytosis, high neutrophil, and mean tenderness in RLQ in the appendicitis group were higher than those in the other two groups (p = 0.001). The PAS questionnaire can also be used as a reliable questionnaire with appropriate sensitivity (0.929) and specificity (0.993), and this questionnaire along with detailed clinical examinations could reduce the rate of negative appendectomy to less than 1%. Conclusions This study showed high accuracy of PAS in diagnosing children with appendicitis and differentiating appendicitis from cases of NSAP and specific abdominal pain other than appendicitis. The PAS system could also significantly reduce cases of negative appendicitis. Although high CRP had an excellent ability to diagnose appendicitis, its accuracy was lower than PAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roya Raeisi
- Department of Pediatrics, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Mona Azizi
- Department of Pediatrics, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Jalaleddin Amiri
- Department of Pediatrics, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | | | - Farzaneh Esna-Ashari
- Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- School of Public Health and Research Center for Health Sciences, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
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Kaselas C, Florou M, Demiri C, Tsopozidi M, Anastasiadis K, Spyridakis I. Classification systems of acute appendicitis as an indicator for paediatric surgical consultation of children with acute abdominal pain. J Paediatr Child Health 2023; 59:360-364. [PMID: 36546400 DOI: 10.1111/jpc.16308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIM This study examined if the classification systems for acute appendicitis could be applied in the emergency department as an indicator for surgical consultation, in order to reduce unnecessary paediatric surgery admission. METHODS The Alvarado Score (ALS) and the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) were applied. The decisions for hospitalisation and treatment were made independent of the scores. RESULTS In total, 307 children with abdominal pain suggestive of acute appendicitis were included. We used a cut-off point of 7 and divided the patients into groups; the group with score ≥ 7 points was considered the positive ALS and/or PAS group, and the group with score < 7 points was the negative ALS and/or PAS group. The same process for cut-values set at 6 points was followed. The joint probabilities for the 7-point-thresholds were: ALS-sensitivity 84%, PAS-sensitivity 85%, ALS-specificity 92%, PAS-specificity 92%, ALS-positive predictive value (PPV) 83%, PAS-PPV 84% and 93% negative predictive value (NPV) for both scores. Considering the 6-point-thresholds, we estimated: 94% sensitivity for both scores, 74% ALS-specificity, 84% PAS-specificity, 66% ALS-PPV, 73% PAS-PPV, 91% ALS-NPV and 97% PAS-NPV. CONCLUSION The scoring systems provided acceptable prediction of patients with and without appendicitis. They may be of use in the emergency department, as assistive diagnostic-tools, in order to reduce paediatric surgery consultations, admissions and treatment costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Kaselas
- Second Pediatric Surgery Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Florou
- Second Pediatric Surgery Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Charikleia Demiri
- Second Pediatric Surgery Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Tsopozidi
- Second Pediatric Surgery Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Kleanthis Anastasiadis
- Second Pediatric Surgery Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ioannis Spyridakis
- Second Pediatric Surgery Department, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" General Hospital of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Structured coaching as a means to improve sonographic visualization of the appendix: a quality improvement initiative. Emerg Radiol 2023; 30:161-166. [PMID: 36598657 DOI: 10.1007/s10140-022-02106-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Ultrasound of the right lower quadrant for appendicitis requires specific training and practice. Improved visualization of the appendix can result in decreased utilization of computed tomography. Increasing the sensitivity of ultrasound for appendicitis thus decreases radiation exposure, reduces cost, and improves the patient healthcare experience in accordance with the three principles of the triple aim designated by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a structured training program supplemented by technologist feedback on sonographic visualization of the appendix in a large pediatric health system. METHODS The baseline ultrasound visualization frequency was computed for 20 ultrasound technologists in a large pediatric health system. Following this, technologists were informed of their individual and relative performance. Those with visualization frequencies less than 75% were provided structured training by a designated sonographer with an appendix visualization frequency above 75% while those with greater than 75% visualization continued to be monitored and informed of their monthly frequency. Following this structured training, appendix visualization frequencies were monitored over the next 5 months. RESULTS There was no significant effect of sonographer career experience on the baseline appendix visualization frequency. Fourteen of 20 technologists demonstrated improved visualization frequencies post-intervention. The composite visualization frequency among these 20 technologists improved from 66.55 to 69.14%. This resulted in a potential savings of 38 CT scans during the post-intervention period. CONCLUSION An appendix visualization rate monitoring program coupled with structured training was successful in improving the appendix visualization rate throughout a large pediatric health system. This program demonstrates the positive effect that monitoring and targeted intervention can have on a quality improvement program. The program continues to be carried out as part of a plan-study-do-act cycle.
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Muacevic A, Adler JR, Hakeem H, Othman A, Halawani M, Tashkandi A. The Use of Inflammatory Markers to Rule Out Acute Appendicitis in Pediatrics. Cureus 2022; 14:e31374. [PMID: 36514558 PMCID: PMC9741917 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.31374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency in pediatric patients. The diagnosis of acute appendicitis in pediatrics is challenging and requires an accurate physical examination, laboratory study, and imaging. The aim of this study was to determine the benefits of using three inflammatory markers, white blood count (WBC), neutrophils percent (NE%), and C-reactive protein (CRP), in ruling out appendicitis in pediatric patients. Methods A retrospective study was conducted of 152 pediatric patients aged between 6 months and 14 years presenting to the emergency department between January 2018 and December 2020, with the diagnosis of appendicitis as the primary physician's main diagnosis. Demographic information and clinical data were extracted from the medical file for each patient. Results Out of the 152 patients included, 68 (44.7%) were female and 84 (55.3%) were male, with median age was 8.1 years. Thirty-six (23.7%) had acute appendicitis confirmed by histopathology. Of these 36 patients, only two patients (5.6%) had all inflammatory markers within normal limits. Conclusion Although raised inflammatory markers may help diagnose acute appendicitis, their role in ruling it out remains limited.
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Pediatric Appendicitis Score for Identifying Acute Appendicitis in Children Presenting With Acute Abdominal Pain to the Emergency Department. Indian Pediatr 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13312-022-2620-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Horst KK, Carr BM, Parvinian A, McDonald JS. Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the presentation of paediatric acute appendicitis: an observational study. Clin Radiol 2022; 77:943-951. [PMID: 36184302 PMCID: PMC9458697 DOI: 10.1016/j.crad.2022.08.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Aim To determine whether there were differences in the clinical presentation of patients imaged to evaluate for acute appendicitis in 2020 compared to 2019 with the hope that this information might better identify patients who should undergo imaging work-up and those who should not. Materials and methods This retrospective observational study included patients <18 years who were evaluated for appendicitis between 1 March and 31 May 2019 and 2020. A total of 465 patients were stratified by final diagnosis (appendicitis versus not appendicitis) and compared based on presenting symptoms, physical examination findings, vital signs, and laboratory test results. Results Symptoms and physical examination findings that were significant in the positive cohort in both years included right lower quadrant pain, pain with movement, migration of pain, right lower quadrant tenderness, and peritoneal findings. Reporting upper respiratory symptoms was an independent predictor of negative results among all patients and in 2019. Both negative cohorts were more likely to have negative physical examinations. Anorexia and nausea/vomiting were more likely among positive cases in 2019 whereas diarrhoea was more likely among positive cases in 2020. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly change the presenting features of acute appendicitis. The results of the present study emphasise the importance of the physical examination. The ambiguity of symptoms that mimic gastroenteritis justifies imaging in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- K K Horst
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - B M Carr
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - A Parvinian
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - J S McDonald
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Camacho-Cruz J, Padilla PO, Sánchez DG, Mongui DM, Hoyos LK, Porras ML, Hoyos PV, Polo F, Castro CA. Outcomes of acute appendicitis in patients younger than age 4: a descriptive study. ANNALS OF PEDIATRIC SURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s43159-022-00196-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Acute appendicitis is an infrequent pathology in children under 4 years of age, and its diagnosis is a clinical challenge that can lead to late detection. The intention of this study is to describe the clinical and surgical findings and to explore factors and outcomes associated with appendiceal perforation in patients under 4 years of age with histologically confirmed acute appendicitis. Cross-sectional study of historical data is on patients with a pathologic diagnosis of appendicitis. Clinical, surgical, and pathological variables were described. The relationship between the presence of perforation and associated factors and outcomes was explored using odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals.
Results
Seventy-five patients were found between 2013 and 2019. Seventy-four cases presented with pain on palpation, 56 (75%) with signs of peritoneal irritation, and 70 (93%) with sepsis on admission to the emergency room. An ultrasound was done on 57 patients (76%), and only 26 (45%) were suggestive of appendicitis. Forty-one (55%) cases were operated on by open surgery and 34 (45%) by laparoscopy. In 61 (81%), they were perforated, and 48 (64%) presented peritonitis. Perforation was associated with increased hospital days (OR = 2.54 [1.60−4.03]), days of antibiotics (OR = 4.40 [2.09−9.25]), and admission to intensive care (OR = 9.65 [1.18−78.57]).
Conclusions
Abdominal pain reported by parents, pain on abdominal palpation, and clinical criteria of sepsis on admission to the emergency room are common features. Acute appendicitis complicated by perforation leads to high morbidity due to longer antibiotic treatment, hospitalization days, admission to PICU, and postoperative ileus.
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Rassi R, Muse F, Sánchez-Martínez J, Cuestas E. Diagnostic Value of Clinical Prediction Scores for Acute Appendicitis in Children Younger than 4 Years. Eur J Pediatr Surg 2022; 32:198-205. [PMID: 33550577 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1722860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute appendicitis can be difficult to diagnose, especially in children < 4 years old. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic value of Alvarado score (AS), appendicitis inflammatory response (AIR) score, and pediatric appendicitis score (PAS) in children younger than 4 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS All children younger than 4 years who underwent appendicectomy between 2005 and 2019 were included retrospectively. The diagnostic performance of the scores was analyzed using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and by calculating the diagnostic performances at optimal criterion value cutoff points. RESULTS In this study, 100 children were included (58 boys and 42 girls) with a median age of 39.5 (12-47) months. Ninety children were diagnosed with pathologically proven acute appendicitis. The area under ROC curve of AS was 0.73, AIR score was 0.79, and PAS was 0.69 (p > 0.05, respectively). In children with low risk of acute appendicitis, negative predictive values were 75.0% for AS, 50.0% for AIR score, and 66.7% for PAS (p < 0.05, respectively). The positive predictive values in children with high risk of acute appendicitis were of 92.7% for AS, 92.6% for AIR score, and 93.6% for PAS (p > 0.05, respectively). AS, AIR score, and PAS plus positive ultrasonography have 0.58, 0.49, and 0.88 area under ROC curve. CONCLUSION The three scores can be of assistance in the suspicion of acute appendicitis. PAS markedly improved combined with positive ultrasonography, but none can be used in setting the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Rassi
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Clínica del Sol, Córdoba, Argentina.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Infantil Municipal, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Florencia Muse
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Infantil Municipal, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - José Sánchez-Martínez
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Infantil Municipal, Córdoba, Argentina.,Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Raúl A. Ferreyra, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Eduardo Cuestas
- Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Hospital Privado Universitario de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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A Standardized Diagnostic Pathway for Suspected Appendicitis in Children Reduces Unnecessary Imaging. Pediatr Qual Saf 2022; 7:e541. [PMID: 35369405 PMCID: PMC8970092 DOI: 10.1097/pq9.0000000000000541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasound (US) for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis is often nondiagnostic, and additional imaging is required. A standardized approach may reduce unnecessary imaging.
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Harel S, Mallon M, Langston J, Blutstein R, Kassutto Z, Gaughan J. Factors Contributing to Nonvisualization of the Appendix on Ultrasound in Children With Suspected Appendicitis. Pediatr Emerg Care 2022; 38:e678-e682. [PMID: 35100766 DOI: 10.1097/pec.0000000000002394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify the patient characteristics, history factors, physical examination findings, and sonographic findings, which contribute to a higher risk of the appendix not being visualized on ultrasound evaluation (ie, nondiagnostic or equivocal study) in patients being evaluated for appendicitis. Secondarily, this study assessed the utility of an equivocal ultrasound, specifically in the ability to predict the absence of appendicitis. METHODS A retrospective case review was performed, of children (age, 0-18 years) presenting to a pediatric emergency department with clinical suspicion for appendicitis, who underwent sonographic studies during the 12-month study period. RESULTS Five hundred forty-three cases were reviewed, of which 75 (14%) were diagnosed with appendicitis. The sensitivity of ultrasound diagnosis of appendicitis was 62.7% and specificity was 79.1%. The appendix was not visualized in 398 (73%) cases. Of the cases where the appendix was not visualized, 370 did not have appendicitis (negative predictive value, 93%). In cases where the appendix was not visualized and the white blood cell count was less than 10,000, the negative predictive value rose to 97%. The patient's age (odds ratio [OR], 1.049), weight (OR, 1.015), presence of appendicolith (OR, 0.426), presence of right lower quadrant fat stranding on sonography (OR, 0.081), and presence of hyperemia on sonography (OR, 0.094) were found to be significant in affecting the visualization of the appendix on ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS Increasing patient's age and weight leads to increased likelihood that the appendix will not be visualized on ultrasound, whereas the presence of an appendicolith, right lower quadrant fat stranding or hyperemia will increase the likelihood of visualization. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for the diagnosis of appendicitis are moderate but the negative predictive value of an equivocal study is high. Clinicians can use supporting clinical examination and laboratory findings, in conjunction with a nondiagnostic ultrasound evaluation of the appendix to exclude the diagnosis of appendicitis, without the need for further imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jessica Langston
- Departments of Pediatrics, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Rebekah Blutstein
- Departments of Pediatrics, St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, Philadelphia, PA
| | | | - John Gaughan
- Cooper Research Institute, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ
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Body mass index as a predictor of sonographic visualization of the pediatric appendix. Pediatr Radiol 2022; 52:42-49. [PMID: 34524472 DOI: 10.1007/s00247-021-05176-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Appendicitis is a common condition that is often confirmed with imaging. Ultrasound (US) is recommended as the first radiologic test in the work-up of appendicitis in children. Increased body mass index (BMI) has been implicated as a limiting factor to the sensitivity of US. This has drastic public health ramifications, as pediatric obesity has been increasing at alarming rates. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to compare age-adjusted BMI z-scores to the frequency of sonographic visualization of the appendix. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review of 500 consecutive reports of US exams ordered for appendicitis in patients with a documented BMI was performed. Patients were stratified by BMI z-score based on, and the visualization frequency of the appendix was compared to the BMI z-score group. A logistic regression analysis generated the odds of visualization of the appendix by BMI z-score group. Primary home language, ethnicity, sex and insurance status were included in the logistic regression model to assess these characteristics as potential effect modifiers. RESULTS Of the 500 patients, 52.4% were male, 56.4% were Hispanic and 62.0% had government insurance. BMI z-score distribution groups were as follows: 4.2% were <-2, 8.0% were -2 to -1, 49.8% were -1 to 1, 26.4% were 1 to 2 and 11.6% were >2. The visualization frequency was 61.1% for boys and 46.2% for girls (P<0.05). Visualization frequency by BMI z-score group was as follows: 85.7% for <2, 72.5% for -2 to -1, 57.4% for -1 to 1, 47.7% for 1 to 2 and 29.3% for >2. Children with a BMI z-score greater than 2 were less likely to have a US with visualization of the appendix compared to children with a BMI z-score between -1 and 1 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.21, 95% CI: 0.11-0.40, P<0.0001). Boys were more likely than girls to have a US with visualization of the appendix (aOR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.29-2.80, P=0.001). There was no effect from insurance status, ethnicity or primary home language. CONCLUSION Findings show that as the BMI z-score increased, sonographic visualization of the appendix decreased even after adjusting for demographic differences. These findings have implications for pediatric radiology practice in light of the worsening obesity epidemic.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION The rate of misdiagnosis of appendicitis in children is a challenge and clinical prediction scores could be part of the solution. However, the pediatric appendicitis score (PAS) and the Alvarado score have shown disappointing diagnostic accuracy in pediatric validation studies, while the appendicitis inflammatory response (AIR) score and the novel pediatric appendicitis risk calculator (pARC) have not yet been validated thoroughly. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate these four prediction scores prospectively in children with suspected appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective study was conducted over a 2-year period. All patients <15 years with suspected appendicitis were eligible for inclusion. The four prediction scores were compared regarding predictive values, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, decision curve analysis, and clinical outcome. RESULTS Of the 318 patients included, 151 (47 %) patients had appendicitis. The AIR score and the pARC had substantially higher specificity and positive predictive value, and lower rate of false positives (7% and 2%), than the PAS and Alvarado score (36 and 28%, p < 0.001). Across the different gender and age groups, the AIR score and the pARC generally had fewer false positives than the PAS and Alvarado score. There were no significant differences in sensitivity, negative predictive values, rates of missed appendicitis, or ROC curve analysis. In decision curve analysis, the AIR score and the pARC outperformed the PAS and Alvarado score at most threshold probabilities. CONCLUSION The AIR score and the pARC are superior to the PAS and Alvarado score in diagnosing children with suspected appendicitis.
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Postuma R, Vajcner G, Postuma RB, Keijzer R. Bedside pressure-pain threshold algometry to measure abdominal tenderness in childhood appendicitis: A retrospective cohort study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SURGERY OPEN 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijso.2021.100338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Vaziri M, Nafissi N, Jahangiri F, Nasiri M. Comparison of the appendicitis inflammatory response and Alvarado scoring systems in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children. J Med Life 2021; 14:75-80. [PMID: 33767789 PMCID: PMC7982267 DOI: 10.25122/jml-2020-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Our objective was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of Alvarado and appendicitis inflammatory response (AIR) scoring systems among children suspected of acute appendicitis concerning their postoperative outcomes. During a two-year period, a prospective multicentric study was carried in the selected hospitals of Iran. All children who were admitted with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis were enrolled in the study. However, patients suffering from generalized peritonitis or those who had a history of abdominal surgery were excluded. Before decision-making, each patient’s score according to two appendicitis scoring systems was calculated. The clinical outcomes and diagnosis of patients were then compared to the results of each scoring system. For those patients who were a candidate for surgery, the final diagnosis of acute appendicitis was made by histopathology. Patients were divided into a high- and low-risk group according to scoring systems outcomes. Among the patients with a low score for appendicitis, the AIR scoring system had a sensitivity and specificity of 95% and 74%, respectively, which was more promising in comparison to that of the Alvarado system (90% and 70%, respectively). Regarding the patients at higher risk of acute appendicitis, none of the scoring systems provided reliable results since both systems showed sensitivity and specificity of less than 50%, which was not sufficient to distinguish patients who are a candidate for surgery. AIR and Alvarado scoring systems are not accurate models to predict the risk of acute appendicitis among children; however, the AIR system could be used as a reliable material to rule out the acute appendicitis diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Vaziri
- Department of Surgery, Hazrat-e Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nahid Nafissi
- Department of Breast Surgery, Hazrat-e Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariba Jahangiri
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Ali-Asghar children Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Nasiri
- Department of Surgery, Hazrat-e Rasoul Akram Hospital, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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19
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Trends in Use of Diagnostic Imaging for Abdominal Pain in U.S. Emergency Departments. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2020; 216:200-208. [PMID: 33211574 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.19.22667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE. CT has excellent accuracy for appendicitis but is associated with risks. Research and educational campaigns have been conducted to implement an ultrasound-first strategy for children but not for adults. The purpose of this study was to measure the use of CT and ultrasound in emergency department (ED) visits for abdominal pain and appendicitis to examine the impact of these efforts. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We analyzed data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (1997-2016). Use of CT and ultrasound was measured over time in visits for abdominal pain and visits in which appendicitis was diagnosed. Predictors of CT use were identified by means of regression analysis. RESULTS. For children, CT use increased from 1.2% (95% CI, 0.6-2.5%) in 1997, peaked in 2010 at 16.6% (95% CI, 13.8-19.6%), and decreased slightly in 2016. In adults, CT use increased steadily from 3.9% in 1997 (95% CI, 3.1-4.8%) to 37.8% (95% CI, 35.5-41.0%) in 2016. CT use increased for both pediatric and adult ED visits with a diagnosis of appendicitis, from 5.2% (95% CI, 0.7-29.5%) to 71.0% (95% CI, 43.1-88.8%) for children and 7.2% (95% CI, 2.7-17.6%) to 83.3% (95% CI, 64.1-93.3%) for adults. Children with abdominal pain and a diagnosis of appendicitis evaluated in a pediatric ED were at decreased odds (pain odds ratio, 0.6 [95% CI, 0.3-0.9]; appendicitis odds ratio, 0.2 [95% CI, 0.0-0.7]) of receiving CT than were those evaluated in general EDs. CONCLUSION. CT use has decreased in the evaluation of abdominal pain in children, perhaps because of research findings and efforts to implement an ultrasound-first strategy for suspected appendicitis. In contrast, CT use has continued to increase among adults with abdominal pain in EDs.
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Making a Decision between Acute Appendicitis and Acute Gastroenteritis. CHILDREN-BASEL 2020; 7:children7100176. [PMID: 33050667 PMCID: PMC7650746 DOI: 10.3390/children7100176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Acute appendicitis is one of the most common pediatric abdominal emergencies. Early diagnosis is vital for a positive outcome. However, it may initially present with diarrhea and vomiting, mimicking acute gastroenteritis, thus delaying prompt surgery. Differentiating appendicitis from gastroenteritis in a timely manner poses a challenge. Therefore, we aim to investigate the predictors that help distinguish acute appendicitis from acute gastroenteritis. We conducted a retrospective case-control study, evaluating children admitted due to abdominal pain with diarrhea. Subjects were divided into two groups according to the final diagnoses: acute appendicitis and acute gastroenteritis. We adopted multiple logistic regression analysis and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to identify independent predictors of acute appendicitis and select the best model. A total of 32 patients diagnosed with appendicitis and 82 patients with gastroenteritis were enrolled. Five independent predictors of acute appendicitis included vomiting, right lower quadrant (RLQ) pain, stool occult blood (OB), white blood cell (WBC) count, and C-reactive protein (CRP). The revised combined model exhibited a higher degree of discrimination and outperformed the pediatric appendicitis score (PAS) model. In conclusion, our study was proved to be helpful for assessing cases with abdominal pain and diarrhea in order to more accurately distinguish appendicitis from gastroenteritis in children in a timely manner.
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21
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Prada-Arias M, Gómez-Veiras J, Vázquez JL, Salgado-Barreira Á, Montero-Sánchez M, Fernández-Lorenzo JR. Appendicitis or non-specific abdominal pain in pre-school children: When to request abdominal ultrasound? J Paediatr Child Health 2020; 56:367-371. [PMID: 31482635 DOI: 10.1111/jpc.14617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/04/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this study is to determine the most useful diagnostic tools to differentiate appendicitis from non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP) in pre-school children. METHODS We prospectively evaluated all children aged 5 years or younger admitted for suspected appendicitis at a paediatric emergency department during 5 years. Cases of NSAP and appendicitis were enrolled according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The different variables collected were assessed by statistic and diagnostic accuracy studies. RESULTS A total of 82 patients were studied: 27 cases of NSAP and 55 cases of appendicitis. We found no symptoms or signs with a high power of discrimination between both processes. Complicated cases of appendicitis begin to appear when the duration of symptoms exceeds 12 h. Among laboratory tests, C-reactive protein (CRP) value >34 mg/L was the variable with a greater association to appendicitis (odds ratio 9.8). Abdominal ultrasound (US) had high sensitivity and specificity to differentiate appendicitis, significantly improving its diagnostic accuracy when the duration of symptoms exceeds 12 h. CONCLUSIONS A good history and physical examination are important in the diagnostic process, but reliable physical signs can be difficult to elicit in pre-school children. CRP and abdominal US are useful investigations that can improve diagnostic accuracy. According to our results, abdominal pain duration longer than 12 h or CRP value >34 mg/L should be an indication to perform an abdominal US in pre-school children with right lower quadrant tenderness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Prada-Arias
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Spain.,Rare Diseases and Pediatric Medicine Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, Vigo, Spain
| | - Javier Gómez-Veiras
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Spain
| | - José L Vázquez
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Spain
| | - Ángel Salgado-Barreira
- Rare Diseases and Pediatric Medicine Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, Vigo, Spain.,Methodology and Statistics Unit, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, Vigo, Spain
| | - Margarita Montero-Sánchez
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Spain.,Rare Diseases and Pediatric Medicine Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, Vigo, Spain
| | - José R Fernández-Lorenzo
- Rare Diseases and Pediatric Medicine Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute, Vigo, Spain.,Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Spain
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22
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Özdamar MY, Karavaş E. Acute mesenteric lymphadenitis in children: findings related to differential diagnosis and hospitalization. Arch Med Sci 2020; 16:313-320. [PMID: 32190142 PMCID: PMC7069435 DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2018.79430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diagnostic discrimination between acute appendicitis (AA) and mesenteric lymphadenitis (AML) may require more diagnostic tests or great skill after excluding other diagnoses. This study aimed to make a differential diagnosis between AA and AML patients with previous and new parameters and to examine which parameters should be taken into account regarding whether the AML patient should be hospitalized or discharged. MATERIAL AND METHODS One hundred and twenty-three AML and 134 AA patients, randomly selected, were included in the study. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of all subjects were analyzed. Ultrasonographic and rarely computed tomography examinations evaluating for the enlarged lymph nodes with the shortest diameter in the right lower quadrant of the AML patients were performed. Also, the erect abdominal radiographs (EAR) of AML and AA patients were evaluated. RESULTS While there was no statistically significant difference in age or gender, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, monocyte percentage as well as symptoms between the AA and AML groups (p > 0.05), neutrophil and lymphocyte percentage, appearance of EAR and L/M ratio were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05). There was no correlation between the short-axis diameter of the mesenteric lymph node and clinical and laboratory findings in the AML group (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Based on the results with ROC curve analysis, we propose to take into account the L/M ratio and the EAR from the parameters in the differential diagnosis between AA and AML in addition to previously reported parameters. Also, we recommend that the same features may be used to decide whether AML patients under observation are hospitalized or not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Yaşar Özdamar
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Turkey
| | - Erdal Karavaş
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University, Erzincan, Turkey
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Derakhshanfar H, Pourbakhtyaran E, Rahimi S, Sayyah S, Karbasian F, Soltantooyeh Z, Fallah S. Survey of efficacy of pediatric appendicitis score in Iranian patients less than 18 years old referred to the emergency department. J Family Med Prim Care 2019; 8:3700-3705. [PMID: 31803676 PMCID: PMC6881965 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_740_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Abdominal pain, in particular appendicitis, is a common cause of emergency department visits in children. Therefore, early diagnosis is very important. There are different scoring systems for the diagnosis of appendicitis. This study is the first study to evaluate the performance and accuracy of pediatric appendicitis score (PAS) in Iranian children with abdominal pain in emergency departments. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of children under 18 years with suspected appendicitis who were referred to the emergency medicine department of hospitals affiliated to SBMU during 2015. Acute appendicitis was determined according to pathological findings, and final PAS scores were calculated for all children. With statistical analysis, comparison between two groups was calculated and the diagnostic accuracy of PAS score was estimated. Results: 88 children with mean age of 10.5 ± 3 were studied. According to clinical examination 58 of the children were suspected to have acute appendicitis and 30 others were healthy. In current study, the diagnostic accuracy and precision of PAS at cutoff of 5.5 in patients younger than 18 years admitted to the emergency department with suspected acute appendicitis was 91% and 92%, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 93.88%, 86.21% and 92%, 89.29%, respectively. Conclusions: The results of current study showed that PAS has high diagnostic predictive value for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children under 18 years and due to the advantages listed for this score, its use is recommended for children in emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hojjat Derakhshanfar
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Mofid Children Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Pourbakhtyaran
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Mofid Children Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samane Rahimi
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Mofid Children Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Sayyah
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Mofid Children Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Karbasian
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Mofid Children Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Shahrzad Fallah
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Mofid Children Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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van Amstel P, Gorter RR, van der Lee JH, Cense HA, Bakx R, Heij HA. Ruling out Appendicitis in Children: Can We Use Clinical Prediction Rules? J Gastrointest Surg 2019; 23:2027-2048. [PMID: 30374814 PMCID: PMC6773677 DOI: 10.1007/s11605-018-3997-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify available clinical prediction rules (CPRs) and investigate their ability to rule out appendicitis in children presenting with abdominal pain at the emergency department, and accordingly select CPRs that could be useful in a future prospective cohort study. METHODS A literature search was conducted to identify available CPRs. These were subsequently tested in a historical cohort from a general teaching hospital, comprising all children (< 18 years) that visited the emergency department between 2012 and 2015 with abdominal pain. Data were extracted from the electronic patient files and scores of the identified CPRs were calculated for each patient. The negative likelihood ratios were only calculated for those CPRs that could be calculated for at least 50% of patients. RESULTS Twelve CPRs were tested in a cohort of 291 patients, of whom 87 (29.9%) suffered from acute appendicitis. The Ohmann score, Alvarado score, modified Alvarado score, Pediatric Appendicitis score, Low-Risk Appendicitis Rule Refinement, Christian score, and Low Risk Appendicitis Rule had a negative likelihood ratio < 0.1. The Modified Alvarado Scoring System and Lintula score had a negative likelihood ratio > 0.1. Three CPRs were excluded because the score could not be calculated for at least 50% of patients. CONCLUSION This study identified seven CPRs that could be used in a prospective cohort study to compare their ability to rule out appendicitis in children and investigate if clinical monitoring and re-evaluation instead of performing additional investigations (i.e., ultrasound) is a safe treatment strategy in case there is low suspicion of appendicitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul van Amstel
- Paediatric Surgical Centre of Amsterdam, Emma Children’s Hospital Amsterdam University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ramon R. Gorter
- Paediatric Surgical Centre of Amsterdam, Emma Children’s Hospital Amsterdam University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Johanna H. van der Lee
- Division Woman and Child, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Huib A. Cense
- Division of Surgery, Red Cross Hospital, Vondellaan 13, 1942 LE Beverwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Roel Bakx
- Paediatric Surgical Centre of Amsterdam, Emma Children’s Hospital Amsterdam University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hugo A. Heij
- Paediatric Surgical Centre of Amsterdam, Emma Children’s Hospital Amsterdam University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Cotton DM, Vinson DR, Vazquez-Benitez G, Margaret Warton E, Reed ME, Chettipally UK, Kene MV, Lin JS, Mark DG, Sax DR, McLachlan ID, Rauchwerger AS, Simon LE, Kharbanda AB, Kharbanda EO, Ballard DW. Validation of the Pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator (pARC) in a Community Emergency Department Setting. Ann Emerg Med 2019; 74:471-480. [PMID: 31229394 PMCID: PMC8364751 DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE The pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator (pARC) is a validated clinical tool for assessing a child's probability of appendicitis. Our objective was to assess the performance of the pARC in community emergency departments (EDs) and to compare its performance with that of the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS). METHODS We conducted a prospective validation study from October 1, 2016, to April 30, 2018, in 11 community EDs serving general populations. Patients aged 5 to 20.9 years and with a chief complaint of abdominal pain and less than or equal to 5 days of right-sided or diffuse abdominal pain were eligible for study enrollment. Our primary outcome was the presence or absence of appendicitis within 7 days of the index visit. We reported performance characteristics and secondary outcomes by pARC risk strata and compared the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves of the PAS and pARC. RESULTS We enrolled 2,089 patients with a mean age of 12.4 years, 46% of whom were male patients. Appendicitis was confirmed in 353 patients (16.9%), of whom 55 (15.6%) had perforated appendixes. Fifty-four percent of patients had very low (<5%) or low (5% to 14%) predicted risk, 43% had intermediate risk (15% to 84%), and 4% had high risk (≥85%). In the very-low- and low-risk groups, 1.4% and 3.0% of patients had appendicitis, respectively. The area under the ROC curve was 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.87 to 0.92) for the pARC compared with 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.77 to 0.82) for the PAS. CONCLUSION The pARC accurately assessed appendicitis risk for children aged 5 years and older in community EDs and the pARC outperformed the PAS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale M Cotton
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, South Sacramento Medical Center, Sacramento, CA.
| | - David R Vinson
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Sacramento Medical Center, Sacramento, CA
| | | | | | - Mary E Reed
- Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, Oakland, CA
| | - Uli K Chettipally
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, South San Francisco Medical Center, South San Francisco, CA
| | - Mamata V Kene
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, San Leandro Medical Center, San Leandro, CA
| | - James S Lin
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara Medical Center, Santa Clara, CA
| | - Dustin G Mark
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, CA
| | - Dana R Sax
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, CA
| | - Ian D McLachlan
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
| | | | - Laura E Simon
- Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, Oakland, CA
| | - Anupam B Kharbanda
- Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Minneapolis, MN
| | | | - Dustin W Ballard
- Permanente Medical Group, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research, Oakland, CA; Kaiser Permanente, San Rafael Medical Center, San Rafael, CA
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Greer D, Bennett P, Wagstaff B, Croaker D. Lymphopaenia in the diagnosis of paediatric appendicitis: a false sense of security? ANZ J Surg 2019; 89:1122-1125. [PMID: 31452301 DOI: 10.1111/ans.15394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Appendicitis is a common indication for emergent surgery in children; however, it is a small proportion of presentations with abdominal pain. As viral illness is a common differential diagnosis, lymphopaenia is used by some as a predictor against appendicitis. Furthermore, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been found to predict appendicitis. We aimed to verify if lymphopaenia predicted against appendicitis in children. METHODS Retrospective review was conducted for all patients aged 15 years and under presenting with abdominal pain to our institution in 2017, and data including age, white cell count, neutrophil and lymphocyte count, NLR, C-reactive protein and diagnosis of appendicitis were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata©. Receiver operating characteristic curves for various tests were formed and areas under curve (AUC) compared using regression, P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS A total of 1263 patients were presented, of whom 546 had their blood performed and were included, 86 had appendicitis and 460 did not. Neutrophilia was the best predictor for appendicitis (AUC = 0.86), significantly higher than NLR (0.81), P < 0.05. Lymphopaenia was a poor negative predictor of appendicitis (AUC = 0.46), and while isolated lymphopaenia was more predictive (AUC = 0.23) this was inferior to the positive prediction of neutrophilia, P < 0.05. CONCLUSION The value of isolated lymphopaenia to predict against appendicitis is largely accounted for inherently normal neutrophils, independently lymphopaenia has little value. NLR, while predictive, is a weaker predictor than neutrophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas Greer
- Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Peter Bennett
- Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Benjamin Wagstaff
- Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - David Croaker
- Division of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Reddan T, Corness J, Harden F, Hu W, Mengersen K. Bayesian Approach to Predicting Acute Appendicitis Using Ultrasonographic and Clinical Variables in Children. Healthc Inform Res 2019; 25:212-220. [PMID: 31406613 PMCID: PMC6689514 DOI: 10.4258/hir.2019.25.3.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Ultrasound has an established role in the diagnostic pathway for children with suspected appendicitis. Relevant clinical information can influence the diagnostic probability and reporting of ultrasound findings. A Bayesian network (BN) is a directed acyclic graph (DAG) representing variables as nodes connected by directional arrows permitting visualisation of their relationships. This research developed a BN model with ultrasonographic and clinical variables to predict acute appendicitis in children. Methods A DAG was designed through a hybrid method based on expert opinion and a review of literature to define the model structure; and the discretisation and weighting of identified variables were calculated using principal components analysis, which also informed the conditional probability table of nodes. Results The acute appendicitis target node was designated as an outcome of interest influenced by four sub-models, including Ultrasound Index, Clinical History, Physical Assessment, and Diagnostic Tests. These sub-models included four sonographic, three blood-test, and six clinical variables. The BN was scenario tested and evaluated for face, predictive, and content validity. A lack of similar networks complicated concurrent and convergent validity evaluation. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first BN model developed for the identification of acute appendicitis incorporating imaging variables. It has particular benefit for cases in which variables are missing because prior probabilities are built into corresponding nodes. It will be of use to clinicians involved in ultrasound examination of children with suspected appendicitis, as well as their treating clinicians. Prospective evaluation and development of an online tool will permit validation and refinement of the BN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Reddan
- Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Queensland Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia.,Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jonathan Corness
- Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Queensland Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Wenbiao Hu
- Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kerrie Mengersen
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Kharbanda AB, Vazquez-Benitez G, Ballard DW, Vinson DR, Chettipally UK, Kene MV, Dehmer SP, Bachur RG, Dayan PS, Kuppermann N, O’Connor PJ, Kharbanda EO. Development and Validation of a Novel Pediatric Appendicitis Risk Calculator (pARC). Pediatrics 2018; 141:e20172699. [PMID: 29535251 PMCID: PMC5869337 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-2699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We sought to develop and validate a clinical calculator that can be used to quantify risk for appendicitis on a continuous scale for patients with acute abdominal pain. METHODS The pediatric appendicitis risk calculator (pARC) was developed and validated through secondary analyses of 3 distinct cohorts. The derivation sample included visits to 9 pediatric emergency departments between March 2009 and April 2010. The validation sample included visits to a single pediatric emergency department from 2003 to 2004 and 2013 to 2015. Variables evaluated were as follows: age, sex, temperature, nausea and/or vomiting, pain duration, pain location, pain with walking, pain migration, guarding, white blood cell count, and absolute neutrophil count. We used stepwise regression to develop and select the best model. Test performance of the pARC was compared with the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS). RESULTS The derivation sample included 2423 children, 40% of whom had appendicitis. The validation sample included 1426 children, 35% of whom had appendicitis. The final pARC model included the following variables: sex, age, duration of pain, guarding, pain migration, maximal tenderness in the right-lower quadrant, and absolute neutrophil count. In the validation sample, the pARC exhibited near perfect calibration and a high degree of discrimination (area under the curve: 0.85; 95% confidence interval: 0.83 to 0.87) and outperformed the PAS (area under the curve: 0.77; 95% confidence interval: 0.75 to 0.80). By using the pARC, almost half of patients in the validation cohort could be accurately classified as at <15% risk or ≥85% risk for appendicitis, whereas only 23% would be identified as having a comparable PAS of <3 or >8. CONCLUSIONS In our validation cohort of patients with acute abdominal pain, the pARC accurately quantified risk for appendicitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam B. Kharbanda
- Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | - Dustin W. Ballard
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc and Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California
| | - David R. Vinson
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc and Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California
| | - Uli K. Chettipally
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc and Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California
| | - Mamata V. Kene
- The Permanente Medical Group, Inc and Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California
| | - Steven P. Dehmer
- Division of Research, HealthPartners Institute, Bloomington, Minnesota
| | - Richard G. Bachur
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Peter S. Dayan
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; and
| | - Nathan Kuppermann
- Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, California
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Aydin D, Turan C, Yurtseven A, Bayindir P, Toker B, Dokumcu Z, Sezak M, Saz EU. Integration of radiology and clinical score in pediatric appendicitis. Pediatr Int 2018; 60:173-178. [PMID: 29205688 DOI: 10.1111/ped.13471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy of ultrasonography (US) and abdominal X-ray in combination with Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) is complicated in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Abdominal X-ray is as useful as US with clinical assessment when evaluated by experienced pediatric radiologist in acute appendicitis. The aim of this study was to determine the value of US and abdominal X-ray for appendicitis in children when combined with clinical assessment based on PAS, and to establish a practical pathway for acute appendicitis in childhood. METHODS A prospective, observational cohort study was conducted at an urban, academic pediatric emergency department. Patients were classified at low (PAS 1-4), intermediate (PAS 5-7), or high (PAS 8-10) risk for appendicitis. Low-risk patients were discharged with telephone follow-up in ≤10 days; those at intermediate risk underwent X-ray and US. High-risk patients received immediate surgical consultation. Patients were grouped on histopathology as having either proven acute appendicitis or no appendicitis. RESULTS A total of 288 children were analyzed. Surgery was performed in 134 patients (46.5%), and 128 (95.5%) had positive histopathology. Mean PAS in the patients with and without appendicitis was 7.09 ± 1.42 and 4.97 ± 2.29, respectively (P = 0.00). The rate of missed cases was 6/288 (2%), and the negative appendectomy rate was 6/134 (4.4%). When the score cut-off was set at 6, the sensitivity and specificity of PAS was 86.7% and 63.1%, respectively. The diagnostic performance of daytime US had a sensitivity of 91.1% and specificity of 71.1%. Also, positive US or PAS >6 or both, had sensitivity and specificity 96.7% and 59.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION US or abdominal X-ray in children with possible appendicitis should be integrated with PAS to determine the next steps in management. In the case of discordance between the clinical findings and radiology, prolonged observation or further imaging are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derya Aydin
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Caner Turan
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Ali Yurtseven
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Petek Bayindir
- Department of Radiology, Division of Pediatric Radiology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Bade Toker
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Zafer Dokumcu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Murat Sezak
- Department of Pathology, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Eylem Ulas Saz
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Emergency, Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
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Prada Arias M, Salgado Barreira A, Montero Sánchez M, Fernández Eire P, García Saavedra S, Gómez Veiras J, Fernández Lorenzo JR. Appendicitis versus non-specific acute abdominal pain: Paediatric Appendicitis Score evaluation. ANALES DE PEDIATRÍA (ENGLISH EDITION) 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anpede.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Rentea
- Deparment of Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Shawn D St Peter
- Pediatric Surgical Fellowship and Scholars Programs, Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA.
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Kaymakci A, Guven S, Erdogan S, Ciftci I, Gokcan R. Evaluation of Clinical and Imaging Findings in Children with Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS 2017; 27. [DOI: 10.5812/ijp.10095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
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Computed Tomography Utilization for the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in Children Decreases With a Diagnostic Algorithm. Ann Surg 2017; 264:474-81. [PMID: 27433918 DOI: 10.1097/sla.0000000000001867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this project was to decrease computed tomography (CT) utilization for the diagnosis of appendicitis in an academic children's hospital emergency department (ED) through a multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative. BACKGROUND Appendicitis is the most common abdominal diagnosis leading to the hospitalization of children in the United States. However, the diagnosis of appendicitis in children can be difficult and many centers rely heavily upon CT scans. Recent recommendations emphasize decreasing CT use among pediatric patients because of an increased lifetime risk of radiation-induced malignancies. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of patients diagnosed with appendicitis in the ED at Children's Mercy Hospital from January 1, 2011 to February 28, 2014 to establish a baseline cohort. From August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015, a newly designed diagnostic algorithm was used in the ED and patients were prospectively followed. Any patient discharged from the ED received a follow-up phone call. Patients treated for appendicitis before and after pathway implementation were compared. In addition, any patient evaluated for appendicitis after implementation of the algorithm was analyzed for adherence to the clinical pathway. Differences between the 2 groups were analyzed using ANOVA, Wilcoxon Rank Sum, χ, and Fisher Exact tests. RESULTS Of 840 patients seen after implementation of the diagnostic algorithm, 267 were diagnosed with appendicitis. After implementation of the algorithm, CT utilization decreased from 75.4% to 24.2% (P < 0.0001) in patients with appendicitis. CT utilization was 27.3% after implementation, regardless of the ultimate diagnosis or algorithm adherence. The diagnostic pathway had a sensitivity of 98.6% and specificity of 94.4%. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of a diagnostic algorithm for appendicitis in children significantly decreases CT utilization, whereas maintaining a high sensitivity and specificity.
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Benabbas R, Hanna M, Shah J, Sinert R. Diagnostic Accuracy of History, Physical Examination, Laboratory Tests, and Point-of-care Ultrasound for Pediatric Acute Appendicitis in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Acad Emerg Med 2017; 24:523-551. [PMID: 28214369 DOI: 10.1111/acem.13181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute appendicitis (AA) is the most common surgical emergency in children. Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial but challenging due to atypical presentations and the inherent difficulty of obtaining a reliable history and physical examination in younger children. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the utility of history, physical examination, laboratory tests, Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) and Emergency Department Point-of-Care Ultrasound (ED-POCUS) in the diagnosis of AA in ED pediatric patients. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis and used a test-treatment threshold model to identify diagnostic findings that could rule in/out AA and obviate the need for further imaging studies, specifically computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and radiology department ultrasound (RUS). METHODS We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and SCOPUS up to October 2016 for studies on ED pediatric patients with abdominal pain. Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate the quality and applicability of included studies. Positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-) for diagnostic modalities were calculated and when appropriate data was pooled using Meta-DiSc. Based on the available literature on the test characteristics of different imaging modalities and applying the Pauker-Kassirer method we developed a test-treatment threshold model. RESULTS Twenty-one studies were included encompassing 8,605 patients with weighted AA prevalence of 39.2%. Studies had variable quality using the QUADAS-2 tool with most studies at high risk of partial verification bias. We divided studies based on their inclusion criteria into two groups of "undifferentiated abdominal pain" and abdominal pain "suspected of AA." In patients with undifferentiated abdominal pain, history of "pain migration to right lower quadrant (RLQ)" (LR+ = 4.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.59-6.44) and presence of "cough/hop pain" in the physical examination (LR+ = 7.64, 95% CI = 5.94-9.83) were most strongly associated with AA. In patients suspected of AA none of the history or laboratory findings were strongly associated with AA. Rovsing's sign was the physical examination finding most strongly associated with AA (LR+ = 3.52, 95% CI = 2.65-4.68). Among different PAS cutoff points, PAS ≥ 9 (LR+ = 5.26, 95% CI = 3.34-8.29) was most associated with AA. None of the history, physical examination, laboratory tests findings, or PAS alone could rule in or rule out AA in patients with undifferentiated abdominal pain or those suspected of AA. ED-POCUS had LR+ of 9.24 (95% CI = 6.24-13.28) and LR- of 0.17 (95% CI = 0.09-0.30). Using our test-treatment threshold model, positive ED-POCUS could rule in AA without the use of CT and MRI, but negative ED-POCUS could not rule out AA. CONCLUSION Presence of AA is more likely in patients with undifferentiated abdominal pain migrating to the RLQ or when cough/hop pain is present in the physical examination. Once AA is suspected, no single history, physical examination, laboratory finding, or score attained on PAS can eliminate the need for imaging studies. Operating characteristics of ED-POCUS are similar to those reported for RUS in literature for diagnosis of AA. In ED patients suspected of AA, a positive ED-POCUS is diagnostic and obviates the need for CT or MRI while negative ED-POCUS is not enough to rule out AA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshanak Benabbas
- Department of Emergency Medicine; State University of New York/SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Brooklyn NY
- Department of Emergency Medicine; Kings County Hospital Center; Brooklyn NY
| | - Mark Hanna
- Department of Pediatrics; State University of New York/SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Brooklyn NY
- Department of Pediatrics; Kings County Hospital Center; Brooklyn NY
| | - Jay Shah
- Department of Emergency Medicine; Kings County Hospital Center; Brooklyn NY
| | - Richard Sinert
- Department of Emergency Medicine; State University of New York/SUNY Downstate Medical Center; Brooklyn NY
- Department of Emergency Medicine; Kings County Hospital Center; Brooklyn NY
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Kharbanda AB, Monuteaux MC, Bachur RG, Dudley NC, Bajaj L, Stevenson MD, Macias CG, Mittal MK, Bennett JE, Sinclair K, Dayan PS. A Clinical Score to Predict Appendicitis in Older Male Children. Acad Pediatr 2017; 17:261-266. [PMID: 27890780 PMCID: PMC5562406 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2016.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop a clinical score to predict appendicitis among older, male children who present to the emergency department with suspected appendicitis. METHODS Patients with suspected appendicitis were prospectively enrolled at 9 pediatric emergency departments. A total of 2625 patients enrolled; a subset of 961 male patients, age 8-18 were analyzed in this secondary analysis. Outcomes were determined using pathology, operative reports, and follow-up calls. Clinical and laboratory predictors with <10% missing data and kappa > 0.4 were entered into a multivariable model. Resultant β-coefficients were used to develop a clinical score. Test performance was assessed by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and likelihood ratios. RESULTS The mean age was 12.2 years; 49.9% (480) had appendicitis, 22.3% (107) had perforation, and the negative appendectomy rate was 3%. In patients with and without appendicitis, overall imaging rates were 68.6% (329) and 84.4% (406), respectively. Variables retained in the model included maximum tenderness in the right lower quadrant, pain with walking/coughing or hopping, and the absolute neutrophil count. A score ≥8.1 had a sensitivity of 25% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20%-29%), specificity of 98% (95% CI, 96%-99%), and positive predictive value of 93% (95% CI, 86%-97%) for ruling in appendicitis. CONCLUSIONS We developed an accurate scoring system for predicting appendicitis in older boys. If validated, the score might allow clinicians to manage a proportion of male patients without diagnostic imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupam B. Kharbanda
- Department of Pediatrics Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
| | - Michael C. Monuteaux
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Richard G. Bachur
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Nanette C. Dudley
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
| | - Lalit Bajaj
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO
| | | | | | - Manoj K. Mittal
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine, University ofPennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jonathan E. Bennett
- Department of Pediatrics, Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Jefferson Medical College, Wilmington, DE
| | - Kelly Sinclair
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri, Kansas City, MO
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Prada Arias M, Salgado Barreira A, Montero Sánchez M, Fernández Eire P, García Saavedra S, Gómez Veiras J, Fernández Lorenzo JR. [Appendicitis versus non-specific acute abdominal pain: Paediatric Appendicitis Score evaluation]. An Pediatr (Barc) 2017; 88:32-38. [PMID: 28254168 DOI: 10.1016/j.anpedi.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Non-specific acute abdominal pain is the most common process requiring differential diagnosis with appendicitis in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to assess the Paediatric Appendicitis Score in differentiating between these two entities. MATERIAL AND METHODS All patients admitted due to suspicion of appendicitis were prospectively evaluated in our hospital over a two-year period. Cases of non-specific acute abdominal pain and appendicitis were enrolled in the study. Several variables were collected, including Score variables and C-reactive protein levels. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analyses and diagnostic accuracy studies (ROC curves) were performed. RESULTS A total of 275 patients were studied, in which there were 143 cases of non-specific acute abdominal pain and 132 cases of appendicitis. Temperature and right iliac fossa tenderness on palpation were the variables without statistically significant differences, and with no discrimination power between groups. Pain on coughing, hopping, and/or percussion tenderness in the right lower quadrant was the variable with greater association with appendicitis. The Score correctly stratified the patients into risk groups. Substitution of temperature for C-reactive protein in the Score increased diagnostic accuracy, although with no statistically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS The Paediatric Appendicitis Score helps in differential diagnosis between appendicitis and non-specific acute abdominal pain. It would be advisable to replace the temperature in the Score, since it has no discrimination power between these groups. C-reactive protein at a cut-off value of 25.5mg/L value could be used instead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Prada Arias
- Sección de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España.
| | - Angel Salgado Barreira
- Unidad de apoyo a la Investigación, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España
| | - Margarita Montero Sánchez
- Sección de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España
| | - Pilar Fernández Eire
- Sección de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España
| | - Silvia García Saavedra
- Sección de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España
| | - Javier Gómez Veiras
- Sección de Cirugía Pediátrica, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España
| | - José Ramón Fernández Lorenzo
- Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Galicia Sur, Hospital Universitario Álvaro Cunqueiro, Vigo, Pontevedra, España
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Almaramhy HH. Acute appendicitis in young children less than 5 years: review article. Ital J Pediatr 2017; 43:15. [PMID: 28257658 PMCID: PMC5347837 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-017-0335-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite wide spread availability of sophisticated diagnostic imaging, acute appendicitis in pre-school children remains a diagnostic challenge. Most of these children present late, often with complications e.g. appendicular perforation, abscess formation and peritonitis and as result hospital stay is prolonged and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.The purpose of this article is to review peculiar features of acute appendicitis in preschool children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamdi Hameed Almaramhy
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Taibah University, AL-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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Abstract
Appendicitis is one of the most common surgical pathologies in children. It can present with right lower quadrant pain. Scoring systems in combination with selective imaging and surgical examination will diagnose most children with appendicitis. Clinical pathways should be used. Most surgical interventions for appendicitis are now almost exclusively laparoscopic, with trials demonstrating better outcomes for children who undergo index hospitalization appendectomies when perforated. Nonoperative management has a role in the treatment of both uncomplicated and complicated appendicitis. This article discusses the workup and management, modes of treatment, and continued areas of controversy in pediatric appendicitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Rentea
- Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Shawn D St Peter
- Pediatric Surgical Fellowship and Scholars Programs, Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA.
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Maffi M, Lima M. Acute Appendicitis. PEDIATRIC DIGESTIVE SURGERY 2017:279-290. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-40525-4_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
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Evaluation of proadrenomedullin as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker of acute appendicitis in children. Am J Emerg Med 2016; 34:2298-2305. [PMID: 27609121 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2016.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Depinet H, Copeland K, Gogain J, Hennes H, Paradis NA, Andrews-Dickert R, Vance CW, Huckins DS. Addition of a biomarker panel to a clinical score to identify patients at low risk for appendicitis. Am J Emerg Med 2016; 34:2266-2271. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2016.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Revised: 07/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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Oyachi N, Yagasaki H, Suzuki T, Higashida K, Komai T, Hasuda N, Takano K, Obana K. Use of an appendicitis medical information sheet in the pediatric primary care system. Pediatr Int 2016; 58:1032-1036. [PMID: 26940202 DOI: 10.1111/ped.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate and prompt diagnosis is required for the primary evaluation of pediatric appendicitis. Among pediatricians and surgeons working in Yamanashi Prefecture, the pediatric appendicitis medical information (PAMI) sheet was edited in April 2011 to reflect the diagnostic results of the pediatric primary and emergency medical service and used as a referral document for surgical consultation to secondary hospitals. METHODS The PAMI sheet consisted of sections for history taking, symptoms, physical signs and laboratory findings without a scoring system. For 32 consecutive months starting in April 2011, 59 patients hospitalized for suspected appendicitis were retrospectively reviewed. In particular, a total of 17 referral patients evaluated with the PAMI sheet were assessed in order to evaluate the utility of the form. RESULTS The pediatric surgeons were able to easily determine patient condition from the PAMI sheet. In total, 13 of 17 patients had appendicitis. According to the physical findings of the 17 studied patients, the judgment of right lower quadrant tenderness (κ = 0.63) and guarding (κ = 1.00) was consistent between the pediatric surgeons and primary attending pediatricians. CONCLUSIONS The PAMI sheet aids in the collection of detailed history and objective data with a high level of accuracy, and provides useful referral diagnostic information to the secondary-level hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru Oyachi
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Yamanashi Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamanashi, Japan.
| | - Hideaki Yagasaki
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Yamanashi, School of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Takeyuki Suzuki
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Yamanashi Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Kosuke Higashida
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Yamanashi, School of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Takayuki Komai
- Department of Pediatrics, Yamanashi Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Norio Hasuda
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Yamanashi, School of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Kunio Takano
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Yamanashi, School of Medicine, Yamanashi, Japan
| | - Kazuko Obana
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Yamanashi Prefectural Central Hospital, Yamanashi, Japan
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Depinet H, von Allmen D, Towbin A, Hornung R, Ho M, Alessandrini E. Risk Stratification to Decrease Unnecessary Diagnostic Imaging for Acute Appendicitis. Pediatrics 2016; 138:peds.2015-4031. [PMID: 27553220 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2015-4031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been an increase in the use of imaging modalities to diagnose appendicitis despite evidence that can help identify children at especially high or low risk of appendicitis who may not benefit. We hypothesized that the passive diffusion of a standardized care pathway (including diagnostic imaging recommendations) would improve the diagnostic workup of appendicitis by safely decreasing the use of unnecessary imaging when compared with historical controls and that an electronic, real-time decision support tool would decrease unnecessary imaging. METHODS We used an interrupted time series trial to compare proportions of patients who underwent diagnostic imaging (computed tomography [CT] and ultrasound) between 3 time periods: baseline historical controls, after passive diffusion of a diagnostic workup clinical pathway, and after introduction of an electronic medical record-embedded clinical decision support tool that provides point-of-care imaging recommendations (active intervention). RESULTS The moderate- and high-risk groups showed lower proportions of CT in the passive and active intervention time periods compared with the historical control group. Proportions of patients undergoing ultrasound in all 3 risk groups showed an increase from the historical baseline. Time series analysis confirmed that time trends within any individual time period were not significant; thus, incidental secular trends over time did not appear to explain the decreased use of CT. CONCLUSIONS Passive and active decision support tools minimized unnecessary CT imaging; long-term effects remain an important area of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Depinet
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | | | - Alex Towbin
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Richard Hornung
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Mona Ho
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Test characteristics of common appendicitis scores with and without laboratory investigations: a prospective observational study. BMC Pediatr 2016; 16:147. [PMID: 27577252 PMCID: PMC5006246 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-016-0687-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite the poor independent test characteristics of the white blood cell count (WBC) and neutrophil count (NC) in identifying appendicitis, common clinical decision supports including the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) and Alvarado Score (AS), require the WBC and NC values. Moreover, blood tests cause discomfort/pain to children and require time for processing results. Scores based on clinical information alone may be of benefit in the pediatric population. The objective of our study was to determine the test characteristics of the PAS and the AS with and without laboratory investigations (mPAS, mAS respectively) as well as the Lintula Score. Methods A prospective cohort study of children aged 5–17 years presenting to a pediatric ED with suspected appendicitis. Clinical care of the patient was left to the managing physician. At risk for appendicitis was defined by PAS ≥6; AS ≥5; LS ≥16, as originally described; modified cutoffs were defined as mPAS ≥4; mAS ≥4. Appendicitis was defined as acute inflammation, rupture or abscess of the appendix on pathologic evaluation. Test characteristics for each of the 5 scores were calculated. Results Of the 180 eligible children, 102 (56.7 %) were female. The average age was 11.2 years (SD 3.1). Appendectomy was performed in 58 (32.2 %) of children, 55 (94.8 %) were positive. For the PAS and mPAS, sensitivity and negative predictive values were similar (80.0 %, 86.4 % vs 87.3 %, 85.1 % respectively). For the AS and mAS, sensitivity and negative predictive values were also similar (85.5 %, 87.1 % vs 83.6 %, 83.3 % respectively). Specificities in the PAS, mPAS, AS and mAS were low (56.0 %, 32.0 %, 43.2 %, 63.0 % respectively). Test characteristics of the LS were poor (59.3 %, 79.2 %, 55.2 %, 81.8 %). Conclusions A modified Alvarado and PAS can be used to screen for children at low risk of appendicitis who may be carefully observed at home without the need for laboratory investigation. Translation to primary care settings should evaluate generalizability and determine impact on referral patterns. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12887-016-0687-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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45
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Evaluation of scoring systems in predicting acute appendicitis in children. Surgery 2016; 160:1599-1604. [PMID: 27528209 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2016.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute appendicitis can be difficult to diagnose, especially in children. Appendicitis scoring systems have been developed as a diagnostic tool to improve the decision-making process in patients with suspected acute appendicitis. This study evaluates the Appendicitis Inflammatory Response score, Alvarado score, and Pediatric Appendicitis Score in children suspected of acute appendicitis. METHODS Data were collected retrospectively. All children younger than 18 years suspected of acute appendicitis who presented to the emergency department between January 2006 and June 2014 were included in this study. Variables were registered to evaluate 3 different appendicitis scoring systems. The diagnostic performance of the 3 scores was analyzed using the area under the receiver-operating curve and by calculating the diagnostic performances at different cut-off points. RESULTS The present study included 747 consecutive children. There were 399 boys (53%) and 348 girls (47%) with a mean age of 11 years (range, 1-17 years). In total, 269 children (36%) were diagnosed with acute appendicitis. The area under the receiver-operating curve of the Appendicitis Inflammatory Response score was 0.90, the Alvarado score was 0.87, and the Pediatric Appendicitis Score was 0.82 (P < .05, respectively). The specificity and positive predictive value of the Appendicitis Inflammatory Response score were better at predicting an acute appendicitis than that of the Alvarado score and Pediatric Appendicitis Score. In children with a low-risk acute appendicitis, false negative rates of 14% for the Appendicitis Inflammatory Response, 7% for the Alvarado, and 18% for the Pediatric Appendicitis Score were measured. CONCLUSION In this study, the Appendicitis Inflammatory Response score had the highest discriminating power and outperformed the Alvarado score and Pediatric Appendicitis Score in predicting acute appendicitis in children. Excluding acute appendicitis safely in children with the scoring systems still remains uncertain.
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Abstract
Appendicitis represents the most common abdominal surgical emergency in the pediatric age group. Despite being a relatively common condition, the diagnosis of appendicitis in children can prove to be challenging in many cases. The goal of this article is to review the predictive utility for presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory tests, and imaging studies in the diagnostic work-up of appendicitis. Furthermore, we sought to explore the predictive utility of composite measures based on multiple sources of diagnostic information, as well as the utility of clinical pathways as a means to streamline the diagnostic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charity C Glass
- Department of Surgery, Children׳s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave. Fegan-3, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shawn J Rangel
- Department of Surgery, Children׳s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave. Fegan-3, Boston, MA 02115.
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Huckins DS, Simon HK, Copeland K, Milling TJ, Spandorfer PR, Hennes H, Allen C, Gogain J. Prospective validation of a biomarker panel to identify pediatric ED patients with abdominal pain who are at low risk for acute appendicitis. Am J Emerg Med 2016; 34:1373-82. [PMID: 27133536 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2016.03.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
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Scheller RL, Depinet HE, Ho ML, Hornung RW, Reed JL. Utility of Pediatric Appendicitis Score in Female Adolescent Patients. Acad Emerg Med 2016; 23:610-5. [PMID: 26824846 DOI: 10.1111/acem.12916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Acute appendicitis is common in the pediatric population and is difficult to diagnose in adolescent females. The validated Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) has unclear utility in female adolescents. The purpose of this study is to determine the sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) of the PAS for female adolescents compared to all other patients. METHODS This study examined a retrospective observational cohort of patients ages 3 to 21 years in a pediatric emergency department with prospectively assigned PAS from an existing database. We compared the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the PAS for acute appendicitis among female adolescent patients (13 to 21 years) and all other patients. RESULTS Of the 1,228 patients enrolled, 901 (73.4%) had a complete PAS. Among the 901 patients, 249 (27.6%) had pathology-proven appendicitis, 494 (54.8%) were female, and 272 (30.2%) were adolescent females. At a cutoff of ≥8, the PAS showed a specificity of 89% for adolescent females and 78% for all other patients (p < 0.001), although the specificities did not differ at a cutoff of ≥7. At both cutoffs, the PPVs were poor in both groups. At a cutoff of ≥3, the PAS showed similar sensitivities in both groups. At a cutoff of <3, the NPVs did not significantly differ between groups. CONCLUSION At a cutoff of ≥8 (although not ≥7), the PAS demonstrated a higher specificity among female adolescents compared to all other patients. The PPV for both cutoffs in both groups were poor. At a cutoff of ≥3, sensitivities were equivalent. The NPV for a cutoff of <3 was acceptable but similar in both groups. While sensitivities were similar to previously reported, specificities in both groups were lower. This highlights the need for further investigation of the PAS's performance in specific subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- RoseAnn L. Scheller
- Division of Emergency Medicine; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH
| | - Holly E. Depinet
- Division of Emergency Medicine; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH
| | - Mona L. Ho
- Division of Emergency Medicine; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH
| | - Richard W. Hornung
- Division of Emergency Medicine; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH
| | - Jennifer L. Reed
- Division of Emergency Medicine; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; Cincinnati OH
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Athans BS, Depinet HE, Towbin AJ, Zhang Y, Zhang B, Trout AT. Use of Clinical Data to Predict Appendicitis in Patients with Equivocal US Findings. Radiology 2016; 280:557-67. [PMID: 26878226 DOI: 10.1148/radiol.2016151412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To determine the incremental value of clinical data in patients with ultrasonographic (US) examinations that were interpreted as being equivocal for acute appendicitis. Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval, with a waiver of informed consent, was obtained for this analysis of clinical and imaging data in patients younger than 18 years old who were evaluated for acute appendicitis. Findings from US examinations were reported in a structured fashion, including two possible equivocal impressions. Clinical data were captured as Pediatric Appendicitis (PAS) or Alvarado scores and considered as categoric (high, intermediate, or low likelihood) and continuous variables to simulate stratification of equivocal US examinations to predict appendicitis. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to define score cutoffs, and logistic regression was used to assess individual clinical variables as predictors of appendicitis. Results The study population was made up of 776 patients (mean age, 11.7 years ± 3.7), with 429 (55.2%) girls. A total of 203 (26%) patients had appendicitis. US had a negative predictive value of 96.2% and a positive predictive value of 93.3% for depicting appendicitis, with 89 of 782 (11.4%) equivocal examinations. Categoric PAS and Alvarado scores were equivocal for 59.5% (53 of 89) and 50.6% (45 of 89) of equivocal US examinations, respectively. Categoric low- and high-likelihood PAS and Alvarado scores correctly predicted the presence of appendicitis in 61.1% (22 of 36) and 77.3% (34 of 44) of equivocal US examinations, respectively. As continuous variables, a PAS or Alvarado score of 5 or lower could be used to exclude appendicitis, with a 80.8% (21 of 26) and 90% (18 of 20) negative predictive value, respectively. Conclusion The study confirms the excellent performance of US for depicting pediatric appendicitis. In the subset of equivocal US examinations, a low clinical score (≤5) may be used to identify patients with a low likelihood of having appendicitis. (©) RSNA, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett S Athans
- From the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.S.A.); Division of Emergency Medicine (H.E.D.), Department of Radiology (A.J.T., A.T.T.), and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (B.Z.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio (Y.Z.)
| | - Holly E Depinet
- From the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.S.A.); Division of Emergency Medicine (H.E.D.), Department of Radiology (A.J.T., A.T.T.), and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (B.Z.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio (Y.Z.)
| | - Alexander J Towbin
- From the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.S.A.); Division of Emergency Medicine (H.E.D.), Department of Radiology (A.J.T., A.T.T.), and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (B.Z.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio (Y.Z.)
| | - Yue Zhang
- From the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.S.A.); Division of Emergency Medicine (H.E.D.), Department of Radiology (A.J.T., A.T.T.), and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (B.Z.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio (Y.Z.)
| | - Bin Zhang
- From the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.S.A.); Division of Emergency Medicine (H.E.D.), Department of Radiology (A.J.T., A.T.T.), and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (B.Z.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio (Y.Z.)
| | - Andrew T Trout
- From the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (B.S.A.); Division of Emergency Medicine (H.E.D.), Department of Radiology (A.J.T., A.T.T.), and Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology (B.Z.), Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave, MLC 5031, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio (Y.Z.)
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Yap TL, Chen Y, Low WWX, Ong CCP, Nah SA, Jacobsen AS, Shen L, Low Y. A new 2-step risk-stratification clinical score for suspected appendicitis in children. J Pediatr Surg 2015; 50:2051-5. [PMID: 26477755 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2015.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
AIM The aim of this study was to develop a new Children's Appendicitis Score (CAS) by combining 3 inflammatory markers and a set of predictors for suspected appendicitis in children. METHODS 374 children aged 4-16years with suspicion of appendicitis were prospectively enrolled for the derivation cohort. Demographic characteristics, clinical features, laboratory, and histology data were collected. The outcome measure was the histological presence or absence of appendicitis. Backward logistic regression was employed to select predictors for construction of a score. Diagnostic performance of CAS was compared with the Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) on a separate validation cohort. RESULTS The combination of normal white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil percentage, and C-reactive protein (CRP) had a 100% negative predictive value for appendicitis. We assigned 'coefficient A' as 'zero' when all triple markers were negative and 'one' when any one markers was positive. A second component of 6 predictors was identified for construction of the 'raw score': Localized right-lower-quadrant pain, generalized guarding, constant characteristic of pain, pain on percussion or coughing, WBC≥14000/L and CRP≥24g/L. CAS was generated by multiplying 'coefficient A' by 'raw score'. CONCLUSION CAS is superior to PAS in ruling out appendicitis. Risk stratification of equivocal patients could guide the need for further diagnostic imaging examination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-Lu Yap
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Wilson Wei Xin Low
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | | | - Shireen Anne Nah
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Anette S Jacobsen
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Liang Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Yee Low
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
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