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PubMed1998

[The usefulness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children].

The main objective of the present report was the evaluation of the utility of echography as a diagnostic method in abdominal pain suspicious of acute appendicitis. A control-case study was performed in 165 children hospitalized for abdominal pain. Appendicitis histologically confirmed were considered cases (n = 110) while control (n = 55) were the not-operated patients (46 children) or the not-confirmed appendicitis after laparotomy (n = 9). The variables considered here were: the results of echography (Eco+ when echography showed signs of acute appendicitis: Eco- when not), the age of the patient (randomized at three groups; < 6, 6-9, > 9 years), and the conclusions of fisical exploration (conclusive or not as acute appendicitis). The results were analyzed statistically with the SPSS program, calculating the following predictive values; sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value. Odds Radio before and after test and the global value of echography. Authors conclude that ultrasonography as method of support to abdominal exploration for diagnostic in acute appendicitis is manifest and present a global value of 70.90%.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A trial of various regimens of antibiotics in acute appendicitis.

A three year prospective randomised study was undertaken to study the efficacy of three regimens of antimicrobial drug combinations in reducing postoperative wound sepsis in acute appendicitis. Group A--Metronidazole and gentamicin; Group B--Metronidazole and ciprofloxacin; Group C--Metronidazole and cefotaxime. Randomization was done by drawing from a set of sealed envelopes. Antibiotics were started preoperatively once a presumptive diagnosis of appendicitis was made, provided there was no history of prior antibiotic usage. For simple appendicitis (normal or inflamed) two more doses were given postoperatively. For complicated appendicitis, duration of antibiotic treatment was four days postoperatively. All antibiotics were given intravenously to avoid variations in bioavailability. Wound was inspected daily till discharge and at 30 days post operatively or earlier if the patient had symptoms of wound infection. A total of 128 patients completed the study. Eighty nine were simple appendicitis while the rest were complicated. Twenty one developed wound infection. Out of 21, 13 occurred in group A, 5 in group B and 3 in group C. Individually, the difference in infection rates between group A and group C patients with simple appendicitis was statistically significant. Infection rates in all other groups were not statistically different. Cefotaxime and metronidazole combination had the lowest wound infection rate. Hence it is recommended for antibiotic prophylaxis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

[Acute appendicitis. Analysis of surgical indications].

We analyzed 276 patients operated on for acute appendicitis between January 1995 and June 1997. In 26 patients intraoperative assessment revealed a pathological finding other than appendicitis. Fifty-nine patients (24%) had a perforated appendix, 116 acute appendicitis verified by histological examination, 75 (30%) chronic fibroplastic appendicitis or no signs of appendicitis. Patients with histologically acute inflammation fulfilled more clinical criteria of appendicitis than those without (5.1 vs. 3.7). Negative histological findings were most common in younger females admitted on Mondays and Tuesdays. Clinical observation rather than immediate operation and laparoscopy rather than laparotomy appear appropriate for the latter group and may lower the rate of negative appendectomy.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

[Appendicitis in pregnancy].

The incidence of appendicitis is about 1:1000-1:1500 pregnancies. Therefore, it seems to be in pregnancy as frequent as in the general population. The common signs and symptoms of appendicitis are in pregnancy less reliable than in nonpregnant women. An important role to diagnose appendicitis in suspicious cases has the ultrasonography, first of all the "graded compression ultrasound". Appendicitis increases the rate of spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, small for gestation babies, and neonatal mortality in the first 7 days of life. After appendectomy the rate for preterm deliveries is increased for seven days. After the 7th postoperative day the pregnancy usually continuous to term. There is no increase of malformations because of appendectomy. At the end of pregnancy appendicitis is frequently complicated by phlegmoneous and perforated forms of illness with and without peritonitis. Before 20th w.o.p. laparoscopy is a recommendable method to diagnose and treat appendicitis. After 20th week of pregnancy laparotomy should be preferred. Cesarean section is not recognized part of treatment for appendectomy and only to be performed for obstetric reasons. Tocolysis should be prevented because of risk of pulmonary injury.

Appendectomy↗
PubMed2000

Patterns of appendicitis at a forward-deployed United States Army Hospital: the Korea experience(2)(2).

Appendicitis is both a common surgical condition in a young military active duty population and a diagnosis that is notoriously easy to miss. We reviewed all cases of appendicitis that presented to the 121st General Hospital, which is an army facility in Seoul, South Korea, during an 18-month period. Our patient population consisted of 37,000 soldiers as well as dependants and other patients eligible for care. Of 79 patients operated on for suspected acute appendicitis, 60 (76%) had either acute suppurative or perforated appendicitis. The appendix was normal in 16 patients (20%), whereas 3 patients (4%) had a normal appendix with other surgical pathology. We found a perforation rate of 24%, and of these patients, 53% had prior visits to a health care provider in which an incorrect diagnosis or no treatment was given. Only 3 patients with simple acute appendicitis had been previously seen (7%). Patients were transported to the hospital in different ways, but we were unable to find any correlation among modes of transport to the hospital and perforation rates. We believe that timely diagnosis and referral for appendicitis could be improved through focused education of all primary care providers on this disorder.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

A prospective randomized study of clinical assessment versus computed tomography for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine if routine use of computed tomography (CT) for the diagnosis of appendicitis is warranted. METHODS: During a one-year study period, all patients who presented to the surgical service with possible appendicitis were studied. One hundred eighty-two patients with possible appendicitis were randomized to clinical assessment (CA) alone, or clinical evaluation and abdominal/pelvic CT. A true-positive case resulted in a laparotomy that revealed a lesion requiring operation. A true-negative case did not require operation at one-week follow-up evaluation. Hospital length of stay, hospital charges, perforation rates, and times to operation were recorded. RESULTS: The age and gender distributions were similar in both groups. Accuracy was 90% in the CA group and 92% for CT. Sensitivity was 100% for the CA group and 91% for the CT group. Specificity was 73% for CA and 93% for CT. There were no statistically significant differences in hospital length of stay (CA = 2.4 +/- 3.2 days vs. CT = 2.2 +/- 2.2 days, p = 0.55), hospital charges (CA = 10,728 US dollars +/- 10,608 vs. CT = 10,317 US dollars +/- 7,173, p = 0.73) or perforation rates (CA = 6% vs. CT = 9%, p = 0.4). Time to the operating room was shorter in the CA group, 10.6 +/- 8.4 h vs. CT, 19.0 +/- 19.0 h (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical assessment unaided by CT reliably identifies patients who need operation for acute appendicitis, and they undergo surgery sooner. Routine use of abdominal/pelvic CT is not warranted. Further research is needed to identify sub-groups of patients who may benefit from CT. Computed tomography should not be considered the standard of care for the diagnosis of appendicitis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Computed tomography and ultrasonography do not improve and may delay the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis.

HYPOTHESIS: Computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US) do not improve the overall diagnostic accuracy for acute appendicitis. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: University tertiary care center. PATIENTS: Seven hundred sixty-six consecutive patients undergoing appendectomy for suspected appendicitis from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 1999. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Epidemiology of acute appendicitis and the roles of clinical assessment, CT, US, and laparoscopy. RESULTS: The negative appendectomy rate was 15.7%, and the incidence of perforated appendicitis was 14.6%. A history of migratory pain had the highest positive predictive value (91%), followed by leukocytosis greater than 12 x 10(9)/L (90.1%), CT (83.8%), and US (81.3%). The false-negative rates were 60% for CT and 76.1% for US. Emergency department evaluation took a mean +/- SD of 5.2 +/- 5.4 hours and was prolonged by US or CT (6.4 +/- 7.4 h and 7.8 +/- 10.8 h, respectively). The duration of emergency department evaluation did not affect the perforation rate, but patients with postoperative complications had longer evaluations (mean +/- SD, 8.0 +/- 12.7 h) than did those without (4.8 +/- 3.3 h) (P =.04). Morbidity was 9.1%, 6.4% for nonperforated cases and 19.8% for perforated cases. Seventy-six patients had laparoscopic appendectomy, with a negative appendectomy rate of 42.1%, compared with 15.4% for open appendectomy (P<.001). Laparoscopy, however, had minimal morbidity (1.3%) and correctly identified the abnormality in 91.6% of patients who had a normal-appearing appendix. CONCLUSIONS: Migratory pain, physical examination, and initial leukocytosis remain reliable and accurate in diagnosing acute appendicitis. Neither CT nor US improves the diagnostic accuracy or the negative appendectomy rate; in fact, they may delay surgical consultation and appendectomy. In atypical cases, one should consider the selective use of diagnostic laparoscopy instead.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

The clinical and economic correlates of misdiagnosed appendicitis: nationwide analysis.

BACKGROUND: Negative appendectomy (NA)--the nonincidental removal of a normal appendix--occurs commonly but the associated clinical- and system-level costs are not well studied. HYPOTHESIS: The frequency of adverse clinical outcomes and associated financial burden of hospitalizations during which NA is performed is greater than previously recognized and varies widely among demographic groups. DESIGN: Population-based, retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The 1997 Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Health Care Utilization Project. PATIENTS: All surveyed patients assigned International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure codes for appendectomy but without an associated diagnosis of acute appendicitis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The age- and sex-stratified rates of NA, the incidence of associated infectious complications and case fatality, and the average length of stay and hospitalization charges during those admissions. RESULTS: Nationwide, an estimated 261 134 patients underwent nonincidental appendectomies in 1997, and 39 901 (15.3%) were negative for appendicitis. Women had a higher rate of NA as did patients younger than 5 years and older than 60 years. When compared with patients with appendicitis, NA was associated with a significantly longer length of stay (5.8 vs 3.6 days, P<.001), total charge-admission ($18 780 vs $10 584, P<.001), case fatality rate (1.5% vs 0.2%, P<.001), and rate of infectious complications (2.6% vs 1.8%, P<.001). An estimated $741.5 million in total hospital charges resulted from admissions in which a NA was performed. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant clinical and financial costs incurred by patients undergoing NA during the treatment of presumed appendicitis. These should be considered when evaluating system-level interventions to improve the management of appendicitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Outcome of elderly patients with appendicitis: effect of computed tomography and laparoscopy.

HYPOTHESIS: Elderly patients who have appendicitis have a greater morbidity and mortality rate when compared with younger patients. We hypothesized that recent changes in the diagnosis and management of appendicitis in elderly patients might affect the outcome. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Large metropolitan teaching hospital. PATIENTS: All patients aged 70 years and older who underwent appendectomy for appendicitis between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2000, were divided into groups 1 (those treated from January 1, 1991, through December 31, 1995) and 2 (those treated from January 1, 1996, through December 31, 2000). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Age, sex, preoperative evaluation, operative duration and findings, postoperative course, duration of hospital stay, and mortality rate. Continuous and categorical variables were analyzed using t and chi(2) tests, respectively. RESULTS: Ninety-five patients met inclusionary criteria. The mean age (78 years), sex, preoperative suggestion of appendicitis (group 1, 39 [83%] of 47 patients; group 2, 45 [94%] of 48 patients), and duration of the preoperative hospitalization over 24 hours (group 1, 11 patients [23%]; group 2, 9 patients [19%]) were similar in both groups. There was an increasing use of diagnostic computed tomography (group 1, 13 patients [28%]; group 2, 32 patients [67%]; P<.001) and laparoscopy (group 1, 14 patients [30%]; group 2, 23 patients [48%]; P =.02) between the 2 study periods associated with no significant difference in the duration of hospitalization, frequency of appendiceal perforation or abscess, occurrence of complications, or mortality. The length of operating time increased in the second period (ie, January 1, 1996, through December 31, 2000). CONCLUSIONS: Appendicitis in elderly patients continues to be a challenging surgical problem. While computed tomography may represent a useful diagnostic tool and laparoscopic appendectomy may be appropriate therapy for selected patients, neither has affected outcome when measured for morbidity and mortality rates. Overall results might improve with earlier consideration of the diagnosis in elderly patients with abdominal pain, followed by prompt surgical consultation and operation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Serum and peritoneal inflammatory mediators in children with suspected acute appendicitis.

HYPOTHESIS: Inflammatory markers differ between subjects with appendicitis and controls. Markers of inflammation differ in serum compared with intraperitoneal fluid. Among subjects with appendicitis, inflammatory markers differ between subjects with and without perforation. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Hospitalized care. PATIENTS: Twenty-four children who underwent an appendectomy. Group A (n = 19) consisted of patients with appendicitis and group N (n = 5) of patients with normal appendixes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum and peritoneal levels of interleukin (IL)8, IL-10, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, interferon gamma soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Age, sex, complete blood count, C-reactive protein level, and serum cytokines did not significantly differ by group. Peritoneal concentrations of interleukin-8 (mean +/- SD, 1416.8 +/- 1436 pg/mL vs 48 +/- 74.4 pg/mL, P = .001), IL-10 (mean +/- SD, 3085 +/- 5893 pg/mL vs 84 +/- 46 pg/mL, P = .02), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (mean +/- SD, 1784 +/- 1225.1 ng/mL vs 435 +/- 563 ng/mL, P = .03), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (mean +/- SD, 8939.2 +/- 7312.2 ng/mL vs 602.1 +/- 345.6 ng/mL, P<.001) were significantly different in group A compared with group N. When compared by perforation (n = 8 with perforation vs n = 11 without perforation), peritoneal granulocyte colony-stimulating factor levels were elevated in subjects with perforation (mean +/- SD, 4.3 +/- 14.4 pg/mL vs 62.7 +/- 79.2 pg/mL, P = .02). Although serum tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 was not different between groups N and A, it was significantly different between group N and patients with a perforated appendicitis (mean +/- SD, 205.9 +/- 43.8 ng/mL vs 3068.9 +/- 5122.4 ng/mL, P = .04). CONCLUSION: Presently, it is not practical to differentiate appendicitis in a pediatric population from other causes of abdominal pain based on the detection of systemic inflammatory response markers.

Abdominal Pain↗
PubMed1989

Improving diagnosis of appendicitis. Early autologous leukocyte scanning.

A prospective nonrandomized study investigating the accuracy and utility of autologous leukocyte scanning in the diagnosis of apendicitis was performed. One hundred patients in whom the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis was uncertain underwent indium 111 oxyquinoline labelling of autologous leukocytes and underwent scanning 2 hours following reinjection. Of 32 patients with proved appendicitis, three scans revealed normal results (false-negative rate, 0.09). Of 68 patients without appendicitis, three scans had positive results (false-positive rate, 0.03; sensitivity, 0.91; specificity, 0.97; predictive value of positive scan, 0.94; predictive value of negative scan, 0.96; and overall accuracy, 0.95). Scan results altered clinical decisions in 19 patients. In 13 cases, the scan produced images consistent with diagnoses other than appendicitis, expediting appropriate management. Early-imaging111 In oxyquinoline autologous leukocyte scanning is a practical and highly accurate adjunct for diagnosing appendicitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

The value of the leucocyte count in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.

Total and differential leucocyte counts were performed on 175 patients with a provisional diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Ninety-six per cent of patients with acute appendicitis had either an abnormal total or differential leucocyte count. Four of 24 patients operated on with a normal leucocyte count had acute appendicitis. It is concluded that leucocytosis of above 10 000/mm3 or a differential in excess of 75% neutrophils supports the clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis and that routine estimation of the leucocyte count is a useful investigation. While a normal leucocyte count does not exclude even a perforated appendicitis, such a count should prompt further review of the diagnosis, especially in the presence of an atypical history or minimal physical signs.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1979

Leucocyte counts in the diagnosis and prognosis of acute appendicitis in children.

Preoperative total and differential leucocyte counts were made in 225 children with acute appendicitis, 50 children with a normal appendix and 100 children with acute abdominal pain which resolved without any therapy. When adjusted to age, neutrophilia in 96 per cent, 30 per cent and 32 per cent and leucocytosis in 41.8 per cent, 4 per cent and 3 per cent was noted in the respective groups, the levels being significantly higher in the acute appendicitis group than in the other two groups. Among children with appendicitis, infections were observed in 62.8 per cent of the group with leucocytosis and in 13.7 per cent of the group with a normal leucocyte count; the difference is statistically significant. It is suggested that in acute appendicitis neutrophilia supports the diagnosis and leucocytosis indicates the prognosis. The rate of infection increases as the total leucocyte count rises above the upper normal limit. The difference of opinions on the significance of leucocyte counts in acute appendicitis is discussed.

Abdomen, Acute↗
PubMed1994

Peritoneal aspiration cytology as a diagnostic aid in acute appendicitis.

A total of 110 consecutive patients presenting to one surgical firm with suspected acute appendicitis underwent peritoneal aspiration cytology. Aspiration was successful in 108 patients and 44 were positive. Patients with a positive result underwent emergency surgery; 42 had histologically proven acute appendicitis and two peritonitis of other causes. Seven patients with a negative result underwent appendicectomy; four had acute appendicitis and three a normal appendix. Peritoneal aspiration cytology had a sensitivity for acute appendicitis of 91 per cent and a specificity of 94 per cent. The positive predictive value of the test was 95 per cent and the negative predictive value 94 per cent. The negative appendicectomy rate was 10 per cent overall and 11 per cent in women of reproductive age. Peritoneal aspiration cytology is a useful diagnostic test in the management of patients with suspected acute appendicitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Meta-analysis of the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The importance of specific elements in the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis is controversial. This review analyses the diagnostic value of elements of disease history, clinical findings and laboratory test results in suspected appendicitis. METHODS: A systematic Medline search was made of all published studies on the clinical and laboratory diagnosis of appendicitis in patients admitted to hospital with suspected disease. Meta-analyses of receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) areas, and positive and negative likelihood ratios, of 28 diagnostic variables described in 24 studies are presented. RESULTS: Inflammatory response variables (granulocyte count, proportion of polymorphonuclear blood cells, white blood cell count and C-reactive protein concentration), descriptors of peritoneal irritation (rebound and percussion tenderness, guarding and rigidity) and migration of pain were the strongest discriminators, with ROC areas of 0.78 to 0.68. The discriminatory power of the inflammatory variables was particularly strong for perforated appendicitis, with ROC areas of 0.85 to 0.87. Appendicitis was likely when two or more inflammatory variables were increased and unlikely when all were normal. CONCLUSION: Although all clinical and laboratory variables are weak discriminators individually, they achieve a high discriminatory power when combined. Laboratory examination of the inflammatory response, clinical descriptors of peritoneal irritation, and a history of migration of pain yield the most important diagnostic information and should be included in any diagnostic assessment.

Appendicitis↗
PubMed2003

The contribution of transvaginal ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the contribution of transvaginal and transabdominal sonography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. METHODS: The study group included female patients in whom acute appendicitis was diagnosed preoperatively by ultrasound and confirmed by histology. Each patient was examined by transabdominal (TAS) and transvaginal (TVS) sonography. The contribution of both approaches to the diagnosis of acute appendicitis was assessed. RESULTS: Acute appendicitis was diagnosed sonographically in 38 women. In all of them the diagnosis was confirmed histologically. All patients had both TAS and TVS. In 16 (42%) patients the inflamed appendix was detected by both approaches, in 13 (34%) only by the transabdominal route and in nine (24%) only transvaginally. Thus, TAS detected only 76% of the cases and TVS added 24%. CONCLUSION: The use of TVS in conjunction with TAS seems to improve the detection rate of acute appendicitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Acute and perforated appendicitis: current experience with ultrasound-aided diagnosis.

The clinical value of high-resolution real-time sonography for the diagnosis of acute and complicated appendicitis was prospectively investigated in 857 patients admitted with suspected appendicitis. The ultrasound findings were correlated with history and physical examination on admission. Sonography was able to make the diagnosis of appendicitis with a sensitivity of 89.7%, a specificity of 98.2%, an overall accuracy of 96.3%, and a positive and negative predictive value of 93.6% and 97%, respectively. Routine use of ultrasound before making therapeutic decisions has reduced the rate of unnecessary laparotomies from 20.3% to 11.3%. In 48 (24.7%) of 194 patients with proven appendicitis, the disease had progressed to perforation at laparotomy. History and clinical findings on admission classified 30 (62.5%) of these patients as "highly suspect;" however, 9 (18.8%) were classified as "equivocal" and 9 (18.8%) as "very unlikely." Only half (48%) of the patients with appendiceal rupture had white blood cell counts higher than 13,000/mm3 or fever above 38 degrees C (50%). Sonography enabled the visualization of the inflamed appendix and/or appendicular abscess in 44 (91.7%) patients with perforation. In 47 of 48 patients with appendiceal rupture, the ultrasound-aided diagnosis was made on hospital admission. Thus, the incidence of complicated appendicitis (24.7%) in our study population must be attributed to disease progression before admission and preclinical diagnostic delay.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Localized ileus of the proximal jejunum: a new sign for acute appendicitis.

A focal dilatation of a loop of small bowel has been identified in the left upper quadrant in a series of individuals with suspected appendicitis. Retrospective review of 100 cases of surgically proven appendicitis demonstrated this sign in 51. No previous description of this sign has been found. This finding is believed to be an early sign of appendicitis and may be a valuable adjunct in combination with a clinical history without other radiologic signs of appendicitis. The more conventional signs of appendicitis such as appendicolith and focal ileus of the terminal ileum reinforce the diagnosis.

Acute Disease↗