Document Detail


Clinical criteria for diagnosing perforated appendix in pediatric patients.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16871105     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To determine predictive variables associated with a perforated appendix in pediatric patients with acute appendicitis. METHODS: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study from a medical center with more than 2000 beds (230 beds in Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery), with a mean admission of more than 12000 cases and 2200 surgeries per year. The outcome variable was perforated appendix, and the predictive variables included demographic and clinical factors. RESULTS: During a 6-year period, appendectomies were performed on 274 patients ranging in age from 1 to 18 years. Perforated appendix was found in 100 children (36.5%). Predictive factors significantly associated with perforated appendix were age younger than 9 years, abdominal pain of more than 2 days' duration, temperature of more than 37.9 degrees C, peritoneal signs, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate of more than 25 mm/h. Abdominal ultrasound was performed in 89 patients (32%). For perforated appendix, the ultrasound had a sensitivity of 35%, specificity of 98%, positive predictive value of 95%, and negative predictive value of 55%. Indications for an abdominal ultrasound were determined from a scoring system using the predictive variables significantly associated with perforated appendix. CONCLUSION: The use of our proposed scoring system to determine the indications to perform an abdominal ultrasound may prove to assist in deciding treatment (medical vs surgical) for children with perforated appendix. Initial antibiotic treatment followed by interval appendectomy would become a more likely treatment option if our study results can be validated in a prospective study.
Authors:
Yen-Shih Peng; Hung-Chang Lee; Chun-Yan Yeung; Jin-Cherng Sheu; Nien-Lu Wang; Ya-Huei Tsai
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Pediatric emergency care     Volume:  22     ISSN:  1535-1815     ISO Abbreviation:  Pediatr Emerg Care     Publication Date:  2006 Jul 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2006-07-27     Completed Date:  2006-11-14     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8507560     Medline TA:  Pediatr Emerg Care     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  475-9     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Appendicitis / diagnosis*
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Retrospective Studies

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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