ACUTE APPENDICITIS

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of ClinicalEvaluation and modified Alvarado scoring system in diagnosing acute appendicitis. StudyDesign: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted atSurgical Unit III of Civil Hospital Karachi from May 2010 to October 2010. Methodology: Thisstudy consisted of eighty patients. Patients were divided in two groups. Group A for completeclinical evaluation comprising of 40 patients and Group B for modified Alvarado scoring systemcomprising of 40 patients. Inclusion criteria were all patients presenting with RIF pain, nausea,vomiting, fever and/or anorexia, diagnosed as having acute appendicitis preoperatively andundergoing emergency appendectomy during this period, age >12 years and both gender.Exclusion criteria included not willing for surgery, General anesthesia problem, pregnant femalepatients and those who did not give written consent. Results: A total of 80 patients were includedin the study, placed alternatively into two groups of 40 patients each with majority being male(n = 61, 76.3%). The mean age was 22.46 years. The positive predictive value for patients ofGroup A was 92.5% while for Group B was 77.5%. When diagnostic accuracy was compared onthe basis of Gender for the two groups, the positive predictive value for male patients of GroupA and B was 90.09% and 89.28% respectively, but for females the positive predictive valueof Group A and B was 100% and 50% respectively. Conclusion: We conclude that modifiedAlvarado score can be used safely and effectively in diagnosing acute appendicitis in adultmales especially as the score increases from seven to nine.