Table 1.
Patient characteristics clinical features and CRP by diagnosis.
| Characteristics | Total study population (N = 1076) | No appendicitis (N = 1006) | Appendicitis (N = 70) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male, n/total N (%) | 459/1076 (42.7%) | 412/1006 (41.0%) | 47/70 (67.1%) |
| Age in years, median (IQR) | 13.00 (IQR 6) | 13.00 (IQR 4) | 13.00 (IQR 6) |
| 4–8 years, N/total N (%) | 190/1076 (17.7%) | 184/1006 (18.3%) | 6/70 (8.6%) |
| 9–12 years, N/total N (%) | 303/1076 (28.2%) | 281/1006 (27.9%) | 22/70 (31.4%) |
| 13–18 years, N/total N (%) | 583/1067 (54.2%) | 541/1006 (53.8%) | 42/70 (60.0%) |
| Clinical features, N/total N (%) | |||
| Symptoms | |||
| Pain duration | |||
| <24 h | 229/823 (27.8%) | 211/762 (27.7%) | 18/61 (29.5%) |
| 24–48 h | 78/823 (9.5%) | 67/762 (8.8%) | 11/61 (18.0%) |
| 48 h | 516/823 (62.7%) | 484/762 (63.5%) | 32/61 (52.5%) |
| Nausea/vomiting | 384/575 (66.8%) | 338/521 (64.9%) | 46/54 (85.2%) |
| Signs | |||
| Reduced bowel sounds | 70/578 (12.1%) | 61/536(11.4%) | 9/42 (21.4%) |
| Peritoneal irritation | 193/725 (26.6%) | 153/664 (23.0%) | 40/61 (65.6%) |
| Tenderness RLQ | 415/699 (59.4%%) | 372/646 (57.6%) | 43/53 (81.1%) |
| Elevated temperature | 227/718 (31.6%) | 193/662 (29.2%) | 34/56 (60.7%) |
| Investigations, median (IQR) | |||
| CRP in mg/L (N = 1076) | 5.00 (IQR: 2–12) | 5.00 (IQR: 2–8) | 42.00 (IQR: 18–83) |
The numerator is the number of children in whom the feature is present; the denominator is the number of children in whom the feature is recorded. CRP: C-reactive protein; IQR: interquartile range.