Table 1.
Frequencies, PPVs, ORs, and p-values for patient characteristics and symptoms that were mentioned in the referrals in relation to pathological findings and non-pathological findings in the endoscopic outcomes.
| Patient characteristics | Pathological EGD | PPV, % | OR (95% CI) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (n = 729), n (%) | No (n = 274), n (%) | ||||
| Patient characteristics | |||||
| Women | 372 (51.0) | 178 (65.0) | 67.6 | 0.56 (0.42–0.75) | <0.001 |
| Men | 357 (49.0) | 96 (35.0) | 78.8 | 1.78 (1.34–2.37) | <0.001 |
| Mean age (years) | 64.5 | 64.2 | |||
| Symptom duration (months) | |||||
| <1 | 135 (18.5) | 53 (19.3) | 71.8 | 0.95 (0.67–1.35) | 0.766 |
| 1–6 | 152 (20.9) | 73 (26.6) | 67.6 | 0.73 (0.53–1.0) | 0.050 |
| >6 | 178 (24.4) | 64 (23.4) | 73.6 | 1.06 (0.76–1.47) | 0.727 |
| Similar symptoms earlier | 179 (24.6) | 73 (26.6) | 71.0 | 0.90 (0.65–1.23) | 0.497 |
| No information | 254 (34.8) | 80 (29.2) | 76.0 | 1.3 (0.96–1.75) | 0.091 |
| Symptom | |||||
| Symptom mentioned in referrals | 714 (98.0) | 270 (98.5) | 72.6 | 0.71 (0.23–2.14) | 0.536 |
| Heartburn/regurgitation/retrosternal chest pain | 190 (26.1) | 52 (19.7) | 80.3 | 1.44 (1.02–2.02) | 0.037 |
| Other reflux symptoms (cough, sore throat, globus, hiccups) | 73 (10.0) | 31 (11.1) | 70.2 | 0.87 (0.60–1.36) | 0.547 |
| Epigastric pain/discomfort/burning | 268 (36.8) | 113 (41.2) | 70.3 | 0.83 (0.62–1.10) | 0.193 |
| Early satiation | 28 (3.8) | 18 (6.6) | 60.9 | 0.57 (0.31–1.05) | 0.066 |
| Other dyspeptic symptoms (abdominal bloating) | 56 (7.7) | 34 (12.4) | 62.2 | 0.59 (0.37–0.92) | 0.02 |
| Occasional nausea | 63 (8.6) | 41 (15.0) | 60.6 | 0.54 (0.35–0.82) | 0.003 |
| Occasional vomiting | 49 (6.7) | 19 (6.9) | 72.1 | 0.97 (0.56–1.67) | 0.905 |
| Chest pain | 17 (2.3) | 8 (2.9) | 68 | 0.79 (0.34–1.86) | 0.595 |
| Abdominal pain | 87 (11.9) | 47 (17.2) | 64.9 | 0.66 (0.45–0.96) | 0.030 |
| Diarrhea/loose stools | 61 (8.4) | 22 (8.0) | 73.5 | 1.05 (0.63–1.74) | 0.862 |
| Alarm features | |||||
| Alarm features mentioned | 488 (66.9) | 185 (67.5) | 72.5 | 0.97 (0.72–1.31) | 0.862 |
| Anemia | 196 (26.9) | 62 (22.6) | 76.0 | 1.26 (0.91–1.74) | 0.169 |
| Melena or hematochezia | 87 (11.9) | 27 (9.9) | 76.3 | 1.24 (0.79–1.96) | 0.355 |
| Hematemesis | 40 (5.5) | 11 (4.0) | 78.4 | 1.34 (0.70–2.75) | 0.344 |
| Positive fecal hemoglobin | 110 (15.1) | 59 (21.5) | 65.1 | 0.65 (0.40–1.07) | 0.088 |
| Unintentional weight loss | 94 (12.9) | 45 (16.4) | 67.6 | 0.75 (0.51–1.11) | 0.149 |
| Loss of appetite | 48 (6.6) | 18 (6.6) | 72.7 | 1.0 (0.57–1.76) | 0.993 |
| Dysphagia or odynophagia | 122 (16.7) | 37 (13.5) | 76.7 | 1.29 (0.87–1.92) | 0.212 |
| Persistent vomiting or nausea | 66 (9.1) | 26 (9.5) | 71.7 | 0.95 (0.59–1.53) | 0.831 |
| Palpable mass in the abdomen | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.074 | |
| Jaundice | 0 | 0 | |||
PPVs were determined by dividing the number of pathological EGDs with a referral factor by the total counts of EGDs with that factor. ORs were calculated by dividing the odds of pathological EGDs with a referral factor by the odds of pathological EGD without that factor. For categorical variables, Pearson’s Chi-squared test was applied, or Fisher’s exact test if any parameter had an expected frequency less than 5.
CI, confidence interval; EGD, esophagogastroduodenoscopy; OR, odds ratio; PPV, positive predictive value.