TABLE 1.
Demographic and Clinical Characteristics∗ of Participants in the Randomized and Observational Cohorts of CODA (n = 2062)
| Baseline Factor | Mean (SD) or n (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cohort (%) | RCT | 1552 (75.3%) |
| Observational | 510 (24.7%) | |
| Treatment arm (%) | Appendectomy | 1029 (49.9%) |
| Antibiotics | 1033 (50.1%) | |
| Age over 50 years (%) | No | 1666 (80.8%) |
| Yes | 396 (19.2%) | |
| Sex (%) | Male | 1268 (61.5%) |
| Female | 794 (38.5%) | |
| BMI (%) | Less than 25 | 545 (31.3%) |
| At least 25 but less than 30 | 609 (35.0%) | |
| At least 30 but less than 35 | 341 (19.6%) | |
| 35 and above | 246 (14.1%) | |
| Preferred language (%) | English | 1508 (73.1%) |
| Spanish | 554 (26.9%) | |
| Health literacy help (%) | Never or rarely | 1609 (81.4%) |
| Sometimes or more | 367 (18.6%) | |
| Education (%) | Some beyond HS/GED | 1252 (61.8%) |
| HS/GED or less | 773 (38.2%) | |
| Employment and activity (%) | Employed (inactive) | 768 (38.3%) |
| Employed (active) | 661 (33.0%) | |
| Unemployed/student/other | 574 (28.7%) | |
| Below poverty or Medicaid/state program (%) | No | 883 (55.3%) |
| Yes | 714 (44.7%) | |
| Hispanic (%) | No | 1181 (57.3%) |
| Yes | 880 (42.7%) | |
| Appendiceal diameter (mean [SD]) | 11.36 (2.87) | |
| Perforation/abscess/fat∗∗ (%) | No | 1701 (87.1%) |
| Yes | 253 (12.9%) | |
| Appendicolith (%) | No | 1494 (72.5%) |
| Yes | 568 (27.5%) |
The following variables are addressed in supplemental tables, http://links.lww.com/SLA/D819: worried about bills (yes vs. no), any dependents (yes vs. no), sharing responsibilities for dependents (no, yes, or none), instrumental support score, race (White, Black, American Indian, Asian, Islander, Other, or Multiple), smoking history (yes vs. no), duration of symptoms (1 or more days vs. less than 1 day), average pain in the previous 7 days, discharge pain controlled (no, yes, or no pain), white blood cell count, fever (yes vs. no), nausea/vomiting/anorexia (yes vs. no), Charlson score (above 0 vs. 0), and Alvarado score.
Perforation/abscess/fat: perforation, abscess, or moderate or severe periappendiceal fat stranding (phlegmon).Note: Mean and standard deviation (SD) shown for continuous variables, count (n) and percent for categorical variables; see Supplemental Table 1, http://links.lww.com/SLA/D819 for missing data; BMI, body mass index; GED, General Educational Development test credential; HS, high school; RCT, randomized clinical trial.