Table 1. Characteristics of Comparison of Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy Trial Participants Randomized to Receive Antibiotics by Time to Hospital Discharge.
| Characteristic | Participants, No. (%) [95% CI] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-24 h (n = 335) | >24 h (n = 391) | 0-12 h (n = 163) | >12-24 h (n = 172) | |
| Age, y | ||||
| <30 | 100 (29.9) [25.0-35.1] | 140 (35.8) [31.1-40.8] | 54 (33.1) [26.0-40.9] | 46 (26.7) [20.3-34.0] |
| 30-39 | 89 (26.6) [21.9-31.6] | 119 (30.4) [25.9-35.3] | 45 (27.6) [20.9-35.1] | 44 (25.6) [19.2-32.8] |
| 40-49 | 71 (21.2) [16.9-26.0] | 67 (17.1) [13.5-21.2] | 33 (20.3) [14.4-27.2] | 38 (22.1) [16.1-29.0] |
| 50-59 | 50 (14.9) [11.3-19.2] | 37 (9.5) [6.8-12.8] | 22 (13.5) [8.7-19.7] | 28 (16.3) [11.1-22.7] |
| 60-69 | 19 (5.7) [3.7-8.7] | 22 (5.6) [3.6-8.4] | 8 (4.9) [2.1-9.4] | 11 (6.4) [3.2-11.1] |
| 70-79 | 6 (1.8) [0.6-3.9] | 5 (1.3) [0.4-3.0] | 1 (0.6) [0.0-3.4] | 5 (2.9) [1.0-6.7] |
| ≥80 | 0 | 1 (0.3) [0.0-1.4] | 0 | 0 |
| Sex | ||||
| Male | 213 (63.6) [58.2-68.7] | 249 (63.7) [58.7-68.5] | 117 (71.8) [64.2-78.5] | 96 (55.8) [48.1-63.4] |
| Female | 122 (36.4) [31.3-41.8] | 142 (36.3) [31.5-41.3] | 46 (28.2) [21.5-35.8] | 76 (44.2) [36.6-51.9] |
| Race | ||||
| African American or Black | 13 (3.9) [2.1-6.5] | 55 (14.1) [10.8-17.9] | 6 (3.7) [1.4-7.8] | 7 (4.1) [1.7-8.2] |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 | 12 (3.1) [1.6-5.3] | 0 | 0 |
| Asian | 22 (6.6) [4.2-9.8] | 13 (3.3) [1.8-5.6] | 13 (8.0) [4.3-13.3] | 9 (5.2,2.4-9.7] |
| Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 4 (1.2) [0.3-3.0] | 0 | 1 (0.6) [0.0-3.4] | 3 (1.7) [0.4-5.0] |
| White | 195 (58.2) [52.7-63.6] | 242 (61.9) [56.9-66.7] | 96 (58.9) [50.9-66.5] | 99 (57.6) [49.8-65.1] |
| Other racea | 88 (26.2) [21.6-31.3] | 50 (12.8) [9.6-16.5] | 38 (23.3) [17.1-30.6] | 50 (29.1) [22.4-36.5] |
| Multiple races | 10 (3.0) [1.4-5.4] | 15 (3.8) [2.2-6.3] | 8 (4.9) [2.1-9.4] | 2 (1.2) [0.1-4.1] |
| Hispanic | ||||
| No | 174 (51.9) [46.4-57.4] | 212 (54.2) [49.1-59.2] | 90 (55.2) [47.2-63.0] | 84 (48.8) [41.2-56.6] |
| Yes | 161 (48.1) [42.6-53.6] | 179 (45.8) [40.8-50.9] | 73 (44.8) [37.0-52.8] | 88 (51.2) [43.4-58.9] |
| Primary language | ||||
| English | 196 (58.5) [53.0-63.8] | 239 (61.1) [56.1-66.0] | 97 (59.5) [51.6-67.1] | 99 (57.6) [49.8-65.1] |
| Spanish | 120 (35.8) [30.7-41.2] | 134 (34.3) [29.6-39.2] | 54 (33.1) [26.0-40.9] | 66 (38.4) [31.1-46.1] |
| Other | 19 (5.7) [3.5-8.7] | 18 (4.6) [2.8-7.2] | 12 (7.4) [3.9-12.5] | 7 (4.1) [1.7-8.2] |
| Health insurance | ||||
| Commercial | 144 (43.0) [37.6-48.5] | 163 (41.7) [36.8-46.8] | 75 (46.0) [38.2-54.0] | 69 (40.1) [32.7-47.9] |
| Medicare or Tricare | 46 (13.7) [10.3-17.9] | 38 (9.7) [7.0-13.1] | 21 (12.9) [8.2-19.0] | 25 (14.5) [9.6-20.7] |
| Medicaid or state | 56 (16.7) [12.9-21.2] | 67 (17.1) [13.5-21.2] | 23 (14.1) [9.2-20.4] | 33 (19.2) [13.6-25.9] |
| Other or none | 87 (26.0) [21.4-31.0] | 110 (28.1) [23.7-32.9] | 43 (26.4) [19.8-33.8] | 44 (25.6) [19.2-32.8] |
| Health literacy helpb | ||||
| Never or rarely | 264 (82.2) [77.6-86.3] | 305 (80.3) [75.9-84.2] | 126 (81.8) [74.8-87.6] | 138 (82.6) [76.0-88.1] |
| Sometimes or more | 57 (17.8) [13.7-22.4] | 75 (19.7) [15.9-24.1] | 28 (18.2) [12.4-25.2] | 29 (17.4) [12.0-24.0] |
| Below federal poverty level or receiving Medicaidb | ||||
| No | 140 (54.1) [47.8-60.2] | 155 (53.6) [47.7-59.5] | 70 (53.4) [44.5-62.2] | 70 (54.7) [45.7-63.5] |
| Yes | 119 (46.0) [39.8-52.2] | 134 (46.4) [40.5-52.3] | 61 (46.6) [37.8-55.5] | 58 (45.3) [36.5-54.4] |
| Dependentsb | ||||
| No | 115 (35.2) [30.0-40.6] | 148 (39.0) [34.0-44.0] | 52 (32.7) [25.5-40.6] | 63 (37.5) [30.2-45.3] |
| Yes | 212 (64.8) [59.4-70.0] | 232 (61.1) [56.0-66.0] | 107 (67.3) [59.4-74.5] | 105 (62.5) [54.7-69.8] |
| BMIb | ||||
| <25 | 55 (29.4) [23.0-36.5] | 115 (31.2) [26.5-36.2] | 23 (28.8) [19.2-40.0] | 32 (29.9) [21.4-39.5] |
| 25-35 | 104 (56.6) [48.2-62.9] | 195 (52.9) [47.6-58.0] | 43 (53.8) [42.2-65.0] | 61 (57.1) [47.1-66.5] |
| >35 | 28 (15.0) [10.2-20.9] | 59 (16.0) [12.4-20.1] | 14 (17.5) [9.9-27.6] | 14 (13.1) [7.3-21.0] |
| Symptom duration, d | ||||
| <1 | 85 (25.4) [20.8-30.4] | 99 (25.3) [21.1-29.9] | 49 (30.1) [23.1-37.7] | 36 (20.9) [15.1-27.8] |
| 1-<2 | 116 (34.6) [29.5-40.0] | 160 (40.9) [36.0-46.0] | 52 (31.9) [24.8-39.7] | 64 (37.2) [30.0-44.9] |
| ≥2 | 134 (40.0) [34.7-45.5] | 132 (33.8) [29.1-38.7] | 62 (38.0) [30.6-46.0] | 72 (41.9) [34.4-49.6] |
| Fever | ||||
| No | 253 (75.5) [70.6-80.0] | 292 (74.7) [70.1-78.9] | 118 (72.4) [64.9-79.1] | 135 (78.5) [71.6-84.4] |
| Yes | 82 (24.5) [20.0-29.5] | 99 (25.3) [21.1-29.9] | 45 (27.6) [20.9-35.1] | 37 (21.5) [15.6-28.4] |
| Nausea, vomiting, or anorexia | ||||
| No | 62 (18.5) [14.5-23.1] | 63 (16.1) [12.6-20.1] | 30 (18.4) [12.8-25.2] | 32 (18.6) [13.1-25.2] |
| Yes | 273 (81.5) [76.9-85.5] | 327 (83.6) [79.6-87.2] | 133 (81.6) [74.8-87.2] | 140 (81.4) [74.8-86.9] |
| CT only | ||||
| No | 60 (17.9) [14.0-22.4] | 83 (21.2) [17.3-25.6] | 35 (21.5) [15.4-28.6] | 25 (14.5) [9.6-20.7] |
| Yes | 275 (82.1) [77.6-86.1] | 308 (78.8) [74.4-82.7] | 128 (78.5) [71.4-84.6] | 147 (85.5) [79.3-90.4] |
| Ultrasonography only | ||||
| No | 318 (94.9) [92.0-97.0] | 385 (98.5) [96.7-99.4] | 148 (90.8) [85.3-94.8] | 170 (98.8) [95.9-99.9] |
| Yes | 17 (5.1) [3.0-8.0] | 6 (1.5) [0.6-3.3] | 15 (9.2) [5.2-14.7] | 2 (1.2) [0.1-4.1] |
| Appendicolith | ||||
| No | 249 (74.3) [69.3-78.9] | 283 (72.4) [67.7-76.8] | 115 (70.6) [62.9-77.4] | 134 (77.9) [71.0-83.9] |
| Yes | 86 (25.7) [21.1-30.7] | 108 (27.6) [23.3-32.3] | 48 (29.5) [22.6-37.1] | 38 (22.1) [16.1-29.0] |
| Perforation, abscess, or phlegmonb | ||||
| No or not mentioned | 271 (85.0) [80.6-88.7] | 332 (86.9) [83.1-90.1] | 128 (87.1) [80.6-92.0] | 143 (84.1) [77.7-89.3] |
| Yes | 46 (14.4) [10.8-18.8] | 50 (13.1) [9.9-16.9] | 19 (12.9) [8.0-19.5] | 27 (15.9) [10.7-22.3] |
| Instrumental support score, mean (95% CI)b,c | 15 (15-16) | 15 (15-16) | 15 (15-16) | 15 (15-16) |
| Charlson Index, mean (95% CI)b | 0.3 (0.2-0.3) | 0.2 (0.2-0.3) | 0.2 (0.1-0.3) | 0.3 (0.2-0.4) |
| Alvarado score, mean (95% CI)b | 6.6 (6.5-6.8) | 6.6 (6.4-6.7) | 6.6 (6.3-6.8) | 6.7 (6.5-7.0) |
| Pain score in the previous 7 d, mean (95% CI) | 5.4 (5.1-5.7) | 5.3 (5.0-5.6) | 5.1 (4.7-5.6) | 5.6 (5.2-6.1) |
| White blood cell count, mean (95% CI), /μLa | 12 700 (12 300-13 100) | 13 000 (12 600-13 400) | 12 700 (12 100-13 400) | 12 700 (12 100-13 200) |
| Appendiceal diameter on radiologic imaging, mean (95% CI), mmb | 11 (11-12) | 12 (11-12) | 11 (11-12) | 11 (11-12) |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); CT, computed tomography.
SI conversion factor: To convert white blood cell count to ×109/L, multiply by 0.001.
Other race was selected by the participants if they did not identify themselves with any of the listed races.
Participants with missing data were excluded from the denominator. Missing data occurred for participants as follows: health literacy help, 14 discharged within 24 hours and 11 discharged after 24 hours; below federal poverty level, 76 discharged within 24 hours and 102 discharged after 24 hours; dependents, 8 discharged within 24 hours and 11 discharged after 24 hours; BMI, 148 discharged within 24 hours and 22 discharged after 24 hours; perforation, abscess, or phlegmon, 18 discharged within 24 hours and 9 discharged after 24 hours; instrumental support, 13 discharged within 24 hours and 8 discharged after 24 hours; Charlson Comorbidity Index, 3 discharged within 24 hours; Alvarado score, 13 discharged within 24 hours and 23 discharged after 24 hours; pain score, 9 discharged within 24 hours and 11 discharged after 24 hours; white blood cell count, 3 discharged within 24 hours; and appendiceal diameter, 30 discharged within 24 hours and 69 discharged after 24 hours.
Instrumental support score was determined by the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) patient-related outcome of having someone to take the patient to the physician, run errands, and help with daily chores and if confined to bed.11