title: Predictors of tuboovarian abscess in acute pelvic inflammatory disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the predictors discriminating between patients developing tuboovarian abscess (TOA) and those with non-TOA acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) on the day of admission to the hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty-three patients were evaluated and divided into 2 groups: 42 patients diagnosed with clinical and sonographic evidence of TOA and 121 diagnosed with PID. Relying upon the significant differences between the 2 groups, cutoff levels yielding the best degree of discrimination were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A palpable adnexal mass in a woman older than 42 years and erythrocyte sedimentation rate > 50 mm/h were the best predictors of TOA. There was no difference in the mean temperature or number of sick days prior to hospitalization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that there are parameters that can be used as predictors of TOA and prolonged hospital stay. These parameters can advance the beginning of more aggressive antibiotic treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin 70300, Israel. maxia@asaf.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Reuvit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Halperin
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Svirsky
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vaknin
authors.forename: Ido
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ben-Ami
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Moty
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pansky
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D010049:Ovarian Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents