Table 4.
Category-oriented likelihood ratios (LR) of signs and symptoms and laboratory results for organic diseases in patients with non-acute abdominal pain*
| Patient Characteristics | Category-oriented LR(+) | Category-oriented LR(-) |
|---|---|---|
| Male sex | 1.41 | 0.78 |
| Age > 30 years | 1.12 | 0.64 |
| Age > 60 years | 1.47 | 0.9 |
| 30 < Age < 60 years | 1.08 | 0.88 |
| Symptoms | ||
| History of blood in stool | 1.5 | 0.89 |
| Pain affecting sleep | 1.3 | 0.77 |
| No pain relief after defecation | 1.1 | 0.72 |
| No specific character to pain# | 1.5 | 0.93 |
| Weight loss > 1 kg in4 weeks | 1.29 | 0.89 |
| Laboratory tests | ||
| White blood cell count > 10000 mm-3 | 2.28 | 0.9 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate > 20 mm hour' | 2 | 0.92 |
| Low hemoglobin level | 1.78 | 0.87 |
* Category-oriented LRs calculated using values of sensitivity and specificity derived from the study by Muris et al. [27]
# No description of the pain as one or more of the following: burning, cutting, terrible, feeling of pressure, dull, boring