[Application of a diagnostic score for appendicitis by health-related non-physician professionals].
BACKGROUND
Diagnostic scores have been developed as simple, user-friendly, cost-effective instruments to improve the early diagnosis of acute appendicitis.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the yield of a diagnostic score for acute appendicitis, measured by trained health-related non-physician professional.


METHODS
A prospective, double blind, non-randomized trial. Emergency room nurses applied a previously validated diagnostic score for appendicitis to patients aged more than 15 years with abdominal pain and tachycardia or fever. The main outcome was the percentage of patients operated for acute appendicitis that had a positive score for appendicitis and a pathologically demonstrated appendicitis.


RESULTS
The mean scores for patients operated or not operated for appendicitis were 8.64 and 3.31, respectively. The figures for sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the score were 0.83, 0.98 and 0.94, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
An appendicitis score measured by health-related non-physician professionals has a similar diagnostic yield than clinical judgment.
Servicio de Cirugía, Unidad de Emergencias, Hospital de Ovalle, Ovalle, Chile. beltran_01@yahoo.com
Marcelo A
MA
Beltrán
Raúl
R
Villar M
Karina S
KS
Cruces
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors