Table 2.
Demographics and Clinical Characteristics for complicated appendicitis subgroups.
| Pre-pandemic -Complicated appendicitis subgroup (n = 139) | COVID-19 pandemic - Complicated appendicitis subgroup (n = 239) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years)a | 7.9 (3.6) | 9.5 (3.9) | < 0.001 |
| Weight (kg)b | 27.8 (21.2) | 33.9 (26.6) | 0.007 |
| Femalesc | 51 (36.7%) | 102 (42.7%) | 0.253 |
| Duration of symptoms at presentation (days)b | 2.0 (3.0) | 2.0 (3.0) | 0.511 |
| Complications | |||
| Perforationc | 139 (100%) | 239 (100%) | – |
| Abscessc | 47 (33.8%) | 69 (28.9%) | 0.315 |
| Obstructionc | 4 (2.9%) | 7 (2.9%) | 0.977 |
| Diagnostic Imaging | |||
| Ultrasoundc | 119 (85.6%) | 199 (83.3%) | 0.547 |
| Ultrasound and CTc | 11 (7.9%) | 15 (6.3%) | 0.544 |
| Ultrasound and X-rayc | 7 (5.0%) | 18 (7.5%) | 0.347 |
| Ultrasound and MRIc | 2 (1.4%) | 3 (1.3%) | 0.880 |
| CTc | 0 (0%) | 3 (1.3%) | 0.185 |
| Interventions Required | |||
| Appendectomyc | 99 (71.2%) | 186 (77.8%) | 0.151 |
| Non-operativec | 18 (12.9%) | 22 (9.2%) | 0.254 |
| Percutaneous drainc | 12 (8.6%) | 19 (7.9%) | 0.815 |
| Appendectomy and percutaneous drainc | 5 (3.6%) | 10 (4.2%) | 0.778 |
| Secondary Outcomes | |||
| Length of stay (days)b | 6.0 (4.0) | 5.0 (5.0) | 0.019 |
| Total antibiotic treatment duration (days)b | 12.0 (8.0) | 12.0 (7.0) | 0.487 |
| Surgery length (min)b | 105 (110) | 115 (15) | 0.002 |
| Readmission related to appendicitisc | 10 (7.2%) | 33 (13.8%) | 0.051 |
a
Data presented as mean (SD).
b
Data presented as median (IQR).
c
Data presented as n (%).