Dataset Information

Sensitivity and specificity of the Alvarado Score for the timely differential diagnosis of acute appendicitis for a case series in Samoa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Timely diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) is essential for optimal management of abdominal pain emergency presentations. Improved diagnostic procedures should minimise progression to complicated appendicitis, as well as reduce the number of unwanted surgical interventions. The Alvarado Score is an important tool to assist with the management of AA based on clinically predictive values. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Alvarado Score as an instrument for the diagnosis of AA in our low-resourced context of Samoa.

Materials and methods

The lead investigator performed a retrospective clinical data review design of all patients admitted to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital Surgical Unit for AA from January 2015 to December 2016. Exclusion criteria were appendiceal abscess and/or mass, and final diagnosis 'not acute appendicitis'. Age, sex, village, Alvarado Score, Ultrasound Scan Result, surgical management, and histopathology result were the main variables entered into the SPSS statistical software package for analysis.

Results

Of the 225 patients (2-86 years) admitted for AA, 67.1% (N = 151) underwent appendicectomy, and the remaining 32.9% (N = 74) were treated with antibiotics. An Alvarado Score (≥5) showed 91.7% sensitivity and 50% specificity for AA. There was a significant relationship between the Alvarado Score and the Ultrasound Scan for AA (p < 0.05). Histology results showed complicated AA in 68.6% (N = 94) of cases. The negative appendicectomy rate was 2.6%.

Conclusions

The Alvarado Score is an effective tool for the timely differential diagnosis of AA in our Samoan context. The high rate of complicated acute appendicitis warrants investigation to further improve the management of AA in the Pacific Island setting.

SUBMITTER: Pifeleti S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8767311 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ImportanceDelayed appendicitis diagnosis is associated with worse outcomes. Appendicitis hospital care costs associated with delayed diagnosis are unknown.ObjectiveTo determine whether delayed appendicitis diagnosis was associated with increased appendicitis hospital care costs.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study used data from patients receiving an appendectomy aged 18 to 64 years in 5 states (Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin) that were captured in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient and Emergency Department databases for the years 2016 and 2017 with no additional follow-up. Data were analyzed January through April 2023.ExposuresDelayed diagnosis was defined as a previous emergency department or inpatient hospital encounter with an abdominal diagnosis other than appendicitis, and no intervention 7 days prior to appendectomy encounter.Main outcomes and measuresThe main outcome was appendicitis hospital care costs. This was calculated from aggregated charges of encounters 7 days prior to appendectomy, the appendectomy encounter, and 30 days postoperatively. Cost-to-charge ratios were applied to charges to obtain costs, which were then adjusted for wage index, inflation to 2022 US dollar, and with extreme outliers winsorized. A multivariable Poisson regression estimated appendicitis hospital care costs associated with a delayed diagnosis while controlling for age, sex, race and ethnicity, insurance status, care discontinuity, income quartile, hospital size, teaching status, medical school affiliation, percentage of Black and Hispanic patient discharges, core-based statistical area, and state.ResultsThere were 76 183 patients (38 939 female [51.1%]; 2192 Asian or Pacific Islander [2.9%], 14 132 Hispanic [18.5%], 8195 non-Hispanic Black [10.8%], 46 949 non-Hispanic White [61.6%]) underwent appendectomy, and 2045 (2.7%) had a delayed diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis patients had median (IQR) unadjusted cost of $11 099 ($6752-$17 740) compared with $9177 ($5575-$14 481) for nondelayed (P < .001). Patients with delayed diagnosis had 1.23 times (95% CI, 1.16-1.28 times) adjusted increased appendicitis hospital care costs. The mean marginal cost of delayed diagnosis was $2712 (95% CI, $2083-$3342). Even controlling for delayed diagnosis, non-Hispanic Black patients had 1.22 times (95% CI, 1.17-1.28 times) the adjusted increased appendicitis hospital care costs compared with non-Hispanic White patients.Conclusions and relevanceIn this cohort study, delayed diagnosis of appendicitis was associated with increased hospital care costs.