TY - JOUR
T1 - The negative appendectomy rate
T2 - Who benefits from preoperative CT?
AU - Webb, Emily M.
AU - Nguyen, Alexander
AU - Wang, Zhen J.
AU - Stengel, Joseph W.
AU - Westphalen, Antonio C.
AU - Coakley, Fergus V.
PY - 2011/10
Y1 - 2011/10
N2 - OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to determine the negative appendectomy rates of patients who did and did not undergo preoperative CT and to determine, more specifically, whether men benefit from preoperative CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We identified 512 patients who had a nonincidental appendectomy between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2007. Pathology records were compared with a radiology records search to determine which patients underwent preoperative CT. Proportions of patients were compared between groups using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS. Of 512 patients who had a nonincidental appendectomy, 465 (91%) underwent preoperative CT, and 47 (9%) underwent appendectomy only on the basis of clinical findings. Overall, 22 of 465 patients (4.7%) who underwent preoperative CT had a negative appendectomy compared with six of 47 patients who did not undergo preoperative imaging (negative appendectomy rate, 12.7%; p = 0.03). Among men, six of 237 (2.5%) with preoperative CT had a negative appendectomy, versus five of 42 without imaging (negative appendectomy rate, 11.9%; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION. The negative appendectomy rate was decreased for adult patients who underwent preoperative CT compared with patients who did not undergo preoperative imaging. Although most prior studies have suggested that CT is efficacious only in decreasing the negative appendectomy rate among women, we found that men benefit from CT as well.
AB - OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this article is to determine the negative appendectomy rates of patients who did and did not undergo preoperative CT and to determine, more specifically, whether men benefit from preoperative CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We identified 512 patients who had a nonincidental appendectomy between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2007. Pathology records were compared with a radiology records search to determine which patients underwent preoperative CT. Proportions of patients were compared between groups using the Fisher exact test. RESULTS. Of 512 patients who had a nonincidental appendectomy, 465 (91%) underwent preoperative CT, and 47 (9%) underwent appendectomy only on the basis of clinical findings. Overall, 22 of 465 patients (4.7%) who underwent preoperative CT had a negative appendectomy compared with six of 47 patients who did not undergo preoperative imaging (negative appendectomy rate, 12.7%; p = 0.03). Among men, six of 237 (2.5%) with preoperative CT had a negative appendectomy, versus five of 42 without imaging (negative appendectomy rate, 11.9%; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION. The negative appendectomy rate was decreased for adult patients who underwent preoperative CT compared with patients who did not undergo preoperative imaging. Although most prior studies have suggested that CT is efficacious only in decreasing the negative appendectomy rate among women, we found that men benefit from CT as well.
KW - Appendicitis
KW - CT
KW - Negative appendectomy rate
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U2 - 10.2214/AJR.10.5369
DO - 10.2214/AJR.10.5369
M3 - Article
C2 - 21940573
AN - SCOPUS:80053265997
SN - 0361-803X
VL - 197
SP - 861
EP - 866
JO - American Journal of Roentgenology
JF - American Journal of Roentgenology
IS - 4
ER -