title: Additional value of biochemical tests in suspected acute appendicitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy of biochemical tests in diagnosing acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  District hospital, Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  257 patients with suspected acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Initial diagnostic accuracy of a logistic regression model using available clinical data was compared with results of corresponding models that included an increasing number of inflammatory parameters.
  
  
  METHODS
  The estimated probabilities of appendicitis in different testing groups were analysed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A model including only clinical variables had a mean area under the ROC curve of 0.854. When the total white blood cell count, C-reactive protein concentration, and neutrophil count were added, the model improved significantly to 0.920.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biochemical tests are of additional value in a computer model, and the tests should, if used rationally, also provide physicians with important information in the investigation of acute appendicitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Innherred Hospital, Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hallan
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asberg
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Edna
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity