Diagnostic accuracy in 2,351 patients undergoing appendicectomy for suspected acute appendicitis: A retrospective study 1986-1993

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the pre-operative findings, accuracy, perforation rate and complication rate in 2,351 patients who underwent appendicectomy during 1986-1993.

Method: The 2,351 records from patients who underwent surgery were analysed to determine whether the pre-operative investigations introduced can improve the diagnostic accuracy when analysed in total.

Results: The total diagnostic accuracy which was 70.9% in 1986 increased to a statistically significant figure of 87.1% in 1993. In female patients, the figure increased from 61.7 to 82.4% and in males from 82.0 to 91.2% during the studied period. The complication rate was in total 10.4% including a mortality of 0.21% (5 patients).

Conclusion: We believe that with a combination of increased interest in patients with acute appendicitis, a wider use of active in-hospital observation, a more standardised pre-operative laboratory investigation and the use of ultrasonography, a high diagnostic accuracy could be reached without an increased rate of complications and perforations.