[Prospective evaluation of admission for acute abdominal pain in children].
Acute abdominal pain (AAP) is one of the most frequent causes of admission to an emergency department of a childrens' hospital. The diagnosis viewed with the most apprehension is acute appendicitis. We present the results of a prospective study on the evaluation of the clinical and paraclinical symptoms generally observed in an AAP, and discuss the benefit of a diagnostic score for acute appendicitis. Twenty-five different diagnoses were observed, the 5 most frequent being: "non specific" (34.2%), constipation (16%), otorhinolaryngological infection (11.6%), gastroenteritis (10.7%) and acute appendicitis (10.5%). The study of 12 symptoms showed an elevated sensitivity for each one (92-50%), but a low positive predictive value (72-12%). Rigid adhesion to a diagnostic score would have led to unnecessary medical examination.
Anhoury
P
P
Service des urgences, hôpital d'Enfants, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
Briançon
S
S
Vidailhet
M
M
Schmitt
M
M
D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003248:Constipation / Q000150:complications; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010038:Otorhinolaryngologic Diseases / Q000150:complications; D010343:Patient Admission; D011446:Prospective Studies
Evaluation prospective des admissions pour douleurs abdominales aiguës chez l'enfant.