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. 2021 Nov 2;21:1130. doi: 10.1186/s12879-021-06816-y

Table 4.

The variation in the number of warning signs that doctors and nurse use to define warning sign

Number of criteria (definition) among the listed definition used by HCPs Abdominal pain Persistent vomiting Mucosal bleeding Plasma leakage Liver enlargement
Doctor (n = 185) Nurse (n = 284) Doctor (n = 181) Nurse (n = 281) Doctor (n = 185) Nurse (n = 285) Doctor (n = 184) Nurse (n = 277) Doctor (n = 184) Nurse (n = 280)
One definition 92 (49.7) 125 (44.1) 92 (50.8) 145 (51.6) 25 (13.5) 47 (16.5) 42 (22.8) 88 (31.8) 91 (49.4) 122 (43.6)
Two definitions 46 (24.9) 66 (23.2) 45 (24.9) 63 (22.4) 6 (3.2) 16 (5.6) 14 (7.6) 43 (15.5) 63 (34.2) 63 (22.5)
Three definitions 30 (16.2) 29 (10.2) 17 (9.4) 15 (5.3) 20 (10.8) 39 (13.7) 34 (18.4) 54 (19.5) 21 (11.4) 40 (14.3)
Four definitions 7 (3.8) 5 (1.8) 9 (5.0) 8 (2.8) 24 (13.0) 56 (19.6) 41 (22.3) 28 (10.1) 2 (1.1) 12 (4.3)
 ≥ 5 definitions 3 (1.6) 12 (4.2) 1 (0.5) 10 (3.6) 106 (57.3) 123 (43.2) 49 (26.6) 38 (13.7) 1 (0.5) 5 (1.8)
Do not know/Not sure (6) 7 (3.8) 47 (16.5) 17 (9.4) 40 (14.2) 4 (2.2) 4 (1.4) 4 (2.2) 26 (9.4) 6 (3.3) 38 (13.6)

Sign includes: 1 = Abdominal tenderness; 2 = Diffuse pain; 3 = Continuous (not intermittent) abdominal pain; 4 = Intensive abdominal pain; 5 = Increasing abdominal pain; 6 = Do not know/Not sure; 7 = Other