title: The role of the emergency medicine resident using the Alvarado score in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis compared with the general surgery resident.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the accuracy of diagnosing appendicitis between emergency medicine residents using the Alvarado score and general surgery residents using ultrasonography and their clinical provision.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 358 patients (192 men and 166 women) were admitted to the emergency service with suspected appendicitis. Each patient was evaluated by an emergency medicine resident and then by a general surgeon independently. Age, sex, operational data, diagnosis, and the Alvarado scores were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity and specificity of the Alvarado score were 95.4% (95% confidence interval 91-99%) and 45.7% (95% confidence interval 37.4-54%), respectively. There was a significant difference between the sexes in the predictive values of a positive test (P=0.045) and a negative test (P=0.02). There was no statistical difference between the emergency medicine residents and general surgery residents in terms of positive and negative predicitive values (P>0.05 each).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no statistical difference between the emergency medicine residents using the Alvarado score and the general surgery residents in terms of suspecting the diagnosis of appendicitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. denizbasi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denizbasi
authors.forename: Erol Erden
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Unluer
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D010819:Physician's Role; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014421:Turkey; D014463:Ultrasonography