Additional value of biochemical tests in suspected acute appendicitis
Hallan, S.; Asberg, A.; Edna, T.H.
European Journal of Surgery 163(7): 533-538
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 1102-4151 PMID: 9248988 Document Number: 477729
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of biochemical tests in diagnosing acute appendicitis. Design: Open prospective study. Setting: District hospital, Norway. Subjects: 257 patients with suspected acute appendicitis. Interventions: Initial diagnostic accuracy of a logistic regression model using available clinical data was compared with results of corresponding models that included an increasing number of inflammatory parameters. Main outcome measures: The estimated probabilities of appendicitis in different testing groups were analysed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: A model including only clinical variables had a mean area under the ROC curve of 0.854. When the total white blood cell count. C-reactive protein concentration, and neutrophil count were added, the model improved significantly to 0.920. Conclusion: Biochemical tests are of additional value in a computer model, and the tests should, if used rationally, also provide physicians with important information in the investigation of acute appendicitis.