Predictors of non-diagnostic ultrasound scanning in children with suspected appendicitis.

摘要

OBJECTIVE: To determine predictors of diagnostically inaccurate ultrasound scanning for suspected appendicitis. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective emergency department cohort study of 263 previously healthy children 4 to 17 years of age undergoing ultrasound scanning. Ultrasound scanning results were interpreted as positive, negative, or equivocal for appendicitis and classified as diagnostically accurate and inaccurate. The main outcome measure was association between inaccurate ultrasound scanning and age, sex, body mass index percentiles, pain duration, white blood cell count, Faces Pain Score-Revised, clinical probability of appendicitis, and ultrasound scanning operator. RESULTS: Of the 263 patients, 95 ultrasound scanning examinations were read as positive, 76 as negative, and 92 were equivocal. A total of 162 (61.6%) ultrasound scanning examinations were accurate (TP86, TN76), and 101 (38.4%) ultrasound scanning examinations were inaccurate (FP88, FN13). Children with body mass index percentiles >/= 85 and clinical probability of appendicitis