Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare rates of ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) for suspected appendicitis at hospitals able to provide definitive surgical care with those from their associated referral hospitals.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of children undergoing appendectomy using the Pediatric NSQIP Appendectomy Pilot Database (1/1/2013-8/31/2014) was performed. Imaging rates at the initial hospital of presentation were compared between groups after adjusting for differences in demographic characteristics.

Results: We identified 4859 patients from 28 definitive care hospitals, of which 35% underwent diagnostic imaging at a referral hospital prior to transfer (range: 20.3-70.4%). The overall odds of receiving a CT scan was 10.9-times greater (95% CI: 9.4-12.5) at referring hospitals compared to definitive care hospitals, and the odds were significantly higher for referral hospitals in 96% (27/28) of the geographic regions represented. The overall odds of an initial attempt at US prior to CT was 11.1 times greater (95% CI: 9.09-14.28), and the odds of receiving any ultrasound was 6.25-times greater (95% CI: 5.26-7.14) at definitive care hospitals compared to referral hospitals.

Conclusions: Children initially evaluated for suspected appendicitis at referring hospitals are much more likely to receive a diagnostic CT, and those imaged with CT are much less likely to receive an US as the initial diagnostic test.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2016.02.055DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

definitive care
16
care hospitals
16
suspected appendicitis
12
greater 95%
12
diagnostic imaging
8
hospitals
8
associated referral
8
odds receiving
8
referring hospitals
8
hospitals compared
8

Similar Publications

Background: Patients with cancer are at elevated risk for tuberculosis (TB) reactivation. Diagnosis of latent TB infection and TB disease remains challenging in this patient population despite the advent of interferon-γ release assays (IGRA).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients with cancer who had IGRA testing (QuantiFERON-TB [QFT-TB] or T-SPOT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort has enrolled over 60,000 children to examine how early environmental factors (broadly defined) are associated with key child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort may be well-positioned to contribute to our understanding of rural environments and contexts, which has implications for rural health disparities research. The present study examined the outcome of child obesity to not only illustrate the suitability of ECHO Cohort data for these purposes but also determine how various definitions of rural and urban populations impact the presentation of findings and their interpretation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Intestinal failure-associated liver disease covers a spectrum of conditions from mild to end-stage disease. Currently, there are 9 diagnostic criteria divided to four categories: cholestasis, steatosis, fibrosis, and unclassified. Our aim was to evaluate the application of these criteria to patients with chronic severe liver disease in patients with intestinal failure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Medical advances in intensive care units (ICUs) have resulted in the emergence of a new patient population-those who survive the initial acute phase of critical illness, but require prolonged ICU stays and develop chronic critical symptoms. This condition, often termed Persistent Critical Illness (PerCI) or Chronic Critical Illness (CCI), remains poorly understood and inconsistently reported across studies, resulting in a lack of clinical practice use. This scoping review aims to systematically review and synthesize the existing literature on PerCI/CCI, with a focus on definitions, epidemiology, and outcomes for its translation to clinical practice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: He Shi Yu Lin Formula (HSYLF) is a clinically proven prescription for treating premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), and has shown a good curative effect. However, its molecular mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of HSYLF and clarify how network pharmacology analysis guides the design of animal experiments, including the selection of effective treatment doses and key targets, to ensure the relevance of the experimental results.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!