Table 5.

Multivariate analysis of factors associated with complicated appendicitis.

	OR (95% CI)	p
Female	1.16 (0.75–1.81)	.506
Age
Age 18–39 years	Reference
Age 40–64 years	2.41 (1.50–3.88)	<.001
Age over 64 years	8.79 (2.19–35.36)	.002
Symptoms
No abdominal pain	14.47 (0.94–222.00)	.055
Fever	1.83 (1.15–2.89)	.010
Nausea	0.76 (0.41–1.40)	.372
Vomiting	1.56 (0.76–3.17)	.223
Loss of appetite	1.39 (0.78–2.45)	.262
Tenderness to movement	0.85 (0.48–1.49)	.563
Diarrhea	0.96 (0.46–2.03)	.920
Symptom onset
Between 10 pm and 6 am	1.09 (0.67–1.78)	.720
Between Friday 3 pm and Monday 6 am	0.73 (0.47–1.14)	.168
Telephone contact
Referred to see a doctor	Reference
Not referred to see a doctor	1.44 (0.79–2.65)	.235
No telephone contacts	1.41 (0.88–2.25)	.151
Conclusion at the first doctor’s appointment
Referred to a surgical center	Reference
Not referred to a surgical center	1.90 (1.14–3.14)	.013
No doctor visits	2.30 (1.03–5.10)	.041
Antibiotic medication during 48 h before hospital	1.03 (0.28–3.75)	.963
Living alone	0.92 (0.56–1.50)	.723
Educational status
University degree	Reference
Vocational upper secondary education	1.05 (0.60–1.82)	.877
General upper secondary education	1.10 (0.50–2.45)	.813
Basic education	1.69 (0.72–3.96)	.224
Professional status
Worker	Reference
Blue collar	1.37 (0.67–2.83)	.390
White collar	1.52 (0.83–2.76)	.175
Entrepreneur	1.68 (0.83–3.43)	.152
Student	3.68 (0.26–51.52)	.334
Student and working	0.94 (0.05–16.26)	.966
Other	4.31 (0.22–83.52)	.334
Employment status
Employed	Reference
Unemployed	3.97 (1.36–11.59)	.012
Pensioner	0.77 (0.23–2.63)	.677
Othera	0.38 (0.03–4.76)	.455

OR: odds ratio; CI: confidence interval.

The examinations at the first doctor’s appointment were left out of the analysis to reduce the number of variables and to avoid overlap.

^a Forty-seven students, 33 students who also work, three on parental leave, two stay-at-home mothers and one in the army.

Significant findings with P-values less than 0.05 are bolded.