Ribeiro AM, Romero I, Pereira CC, Soares F, Gonçalves Á, Costa S, da Silva JB. Inflammatory parameters as predictive factors for complicated appendicitis: A retrospective cohort study.
Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2022;
74:103266. [PMID:
35106154 PMCID:
PMC8784622 DOI:
10.1016/j.amsu.2022.103266]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction
Acute appendicitis is a major cause of acute abdomen. Although its diagnosis is clinical, it is often supported by complementary diagnostic tests. Sometimes, delay in diagnosis can lead to worsening of the clinical picture, resulting in a complicated acute appendicitis. Some series have studied some clinical and analytical parameters as possible predictors of complicated acute appendicitis.
Study design
A retrospective analysis of patients admitted for acute appendicitis and undergoing appendectomy between January 2014 and December 2017 was performed in order to assess the possible existence of preoperative analytical predictive factors for complicated acute appendicitis (such as leukocytosis, C-reactive protein and ratio between neutrophils and lymphocytes).
Results
841 patients underwent emergency appendectomy during the analysed period. This initial sample was divided into two groups: Group 1 with patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis and Group 2 with patients with complicated acute appendicitis. Group 2's presentation age, duration of symptoms and hospital stay was significantly higher than Group 1. Regarding analytical parameters, the measurement of leukocytes, C-reactive protein and ratio between neutrophils and lymphocytes was significantly higher in patients with complicated acute appendicitis. After a multivariate analysis, it was found that only C-reactive protein was a good predictor of complicated acute appendicitis.
Conclusion
Several publications have studied and demonstrated the possible use of certain analytical parameters as predictors of complicated acute appendicitis. In our study, C-reactive protein proved to be a good independent predictor of complicated acute appendicitis and, therefore, when an assay of this protein exceeds 63.3 mg/L, faster surgical approach should be considered due to the high probability of the presence of a complicated picture of this clinical entity.
Preoperative distinction of the severity of appendicitis can be challenging.
Biochemical markers can help the surgeon to understand its severity and emergency.
C-reactive protein shows to be a good predictor of complicated acute appendicitis.
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