Early laparoscopy as a routine procedure in the management of acute abdominal pain: a review of 1,320 patients

Background Acute abdominal pain is a common cause for presentation to the emergency room and hospital admission. Many of these patients will undergo exploration for suspected appendicitis, but in 20–35% of cases a normal appendix is found. Because of the limited access provided by the gridiron incision, a definitive diagnosis may not be found. Other patients may be treated conservatively and discharged, only to return with recurrent pain or more definitive symptoms of pathology. In patients with acute abdominal pain, early laparoscopy is an accurate means of both making a definitive diagnosis and avoiding a delay in the diagnosis.Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 1,320 consecutive patients with acute abdominal pain over a 62-month period. All patients underwent diagnostic laparoscopy within 48 h of admission. We evaluated the initial clinical diagnosis, the laparoscopic diagnosis, and the subsequent outcome in this group of patients. Individuals with abdominal trauma were excluded from the study, and all patients were >12 years of age.Results A definitive diagnosis was made in 90% of patients after diagnostic laparoscopy. Laparoscopy changed the clinical diagnosis in 30% of cases. (83%) of patients underwent a laparoscopic operation for management of their condition at the time of diagnosis. In 92 patients (7%), conversion to laparotomy was required to manage their condition. Peritonitis was present in 180 patients; of 110 of them had appendicitis. Twelve patients developed complications related to the diagnostic laparoscopy or the laparoscopic operation, and there was one postoperative death due to a perforated gastric malignancy. Mean operating time was 30 min (range, 17–90)Conclusion Early diagnostic laparoscopy and treatment results in the accurate, prompt, and efficient management of acute abdominal pain. This technique reduces the rate of unnecessary laparotomy and right iliac fossa gridiron incisions and increases the diagnostic accuracy in these patients. This treatment method is feasible where facilities are available to accommodate the workload and there are practitioners with the requisite expertise.     

Ultrasonography in the management of possible appendicitis in childhood

One hundred thirty-four children referred to the pediatric surgical service with the diagnosis of possible acute appendicitis underwent abdominal ultrasonography within 24 hours of admission. A final diagnosis of appendicitis was made in 45, and of gynecological disease in 11 children. One child had pancreatitis, another jejunal perforation, and a third gross mesenteric lymphadenopathy. In 75 children the clinical picture completely resolved without a definitive diagnosis being made. Clinical diagnosis of gynecological disease showed two false-negatives, and three false-positives, whereas the ultrasonographic diagnosis was accurate in all patients. The sensitivity of the pediatric surgical diagnosis at the time of admission for acute appendicitis was 49% (23 false-negatives) and the specificity was 95% (three false-positives). Ultrasonographic diagnosis of appendicitis had a sensitivity of 89% (five false-negatives) and a specificity of 92% (five false-positives). There was a negative laparotomy rate of 0.7% (one patient) using both clinical evaluation and ultrasonography. These data suggest that abdominal ultrasonography in the child with possible appendicitis is an important diagnostic adjunct.     

Is abdominal wall tenderness a useful sign in the diagnosis of non-specific abdominal pain?

Pain arising from the abdominal wall has been implicated as a cause of non-specific abdominal pain (NSAP), and the presence of abdominal wall tenderness (AWT) has been proposed as an accurate diagnostic test for NSAP. One hundred and fifty eight patients admitted to hospital with abdominal pain were tested for the presence of positive AWT. In 53 patients the final diagnosis was appendicitis and positive AWT was found in five. Thirty eight patients were found to have a variety of other recognised pathological diagnoses, none of whom had a positive AWT. In 67 patients a diagnosis of NSAP was made in the absence of other pathological diagnosis, 19 of whom had positive AWT, which was significantly different from the other diagnostic groups. This study confirms the presence of AWT in up to 28% of patients with NSAP, and suggests that testing for AWT is of value in patients with abdominal pain, although a positive AWT is not as accurate a predictor of NSAP as previously reported.     

Nonspecific abdominal pain is a safe diagnosis

AimThe aim of this study is to assess if a clinical diagnosis of nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) is safe and if patients with this initial diagnosis are likely to require further investigation or surgical intervention.Methods3323 patients admitted with NSAP from July 1990 to September 2012 utilizing a prospective database of all surgical admissions were included. Readmission over the period of the study and specifically within 30 days of their initial presentation was identified together with any invasive investigation or surgical intervention.Main results319 children (9.6%) were subsequently readmitted with abdominal pain at some point during the study period. Of these, 78 (2.3%) were readmitted within 30 days. 118 (3.5%) children subsequently had an operation or invasive investigation some point following their initial admission. Of these 33 (0.6%) had the procedure within 3 months of the initial admission. 13 patients had an appendicectomy within 3 months of the initial presentation. Of these histology confirmed appendicitis in 8 patients. This gives an overall incidence of “missed” appendicitis of 0.2 % (8/3323).ConclusionThis study confirms that a clinical diagnosis of nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) is safe in a pediatric population and the risk of “missing” appendicitis is only 0.2%. Patients and/or parents can be confidently reassured that the risk of missing organic pathology is very low.     

Acute Abdominal Pain: Diagnostic Impact of Immediate CT Scanning

Background Acute abdominal pain is a common diagnostic problem. This study aimed to evaluate the routinely use of contrast enhanced computed tomographic (CT) scanning early in the diagnostic process. Methods A retrospective review of 2,222 patients with acute abdominal pain who underwent contrast enhanced CT scanning within 24 h after admission. The diagnoses obtained were compared with the final diagnoses after 1 month. Results After CT scanning the following diagnoses were suggested as the primary cause of the abdominal pain: nonspecific abdominal pain 984 (44.3%), appendicitis 354 (15.9%), bowel obstruction 190 (8.6%), diverticulitis 182 (8.2%), gastrointestinal perforation 52 (2.3%), gallstone disease 64 (2.9%), pancreatitis 72 (3.2%), inflammatory bowel disease 13 (0.6%), intra-abdominal malignancy 34 (1.5%), vascular disease (including 1 completely cured patient with paradoxical embolization in the superior mesenteric artery) 33 (1.5%), urological 131 (5.9%), gynecological 54 (2.4%), miscellaneous 31 (1.4%). In 28 cases a conclusive CT examination could not be carried out. The suggested diagnoses were correct in 2,151 cases (96.8%). In 16 cases (0.7%) an incorrect diagnosis was reported, leading to 7 unnecessary laparotomies. False negative reports were obtained in 27 cases (1.2%). After CT examination 500 patients could be discharged immediately. Conclusions Contrast-enhanced CT scanning results in superior diagnostic precision in patients with acute abdominal pain. The present work supports the strategy to include this examination early in the routine diagnostic process.     

Significance of routine digital rectal examination in adults presenting with abdominal pain

AIM: Routine digital rectal examination (DRE) in children with abdominal pain has slowly gone out of practice but is still performed routinely in adults. This study was undertaken to assess the significance of routine DRE in adults with acute abdominal pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 100 consecutive adults admitted to the emergency surgical unit with acute abdominal pain were studied prospectively. Following DRE, patients who were willing to participate in the study were requested to complete an anonymous questionnaire. The house officer conducted the rectal examination at admission and also completed an evaluation sheet. RESULTS: A working diagnosis of acute appendicitis in 38 patients and gastroduodenal, pancreatobiliary pathology in 24 patients was made. DRE did not alter clinical diagnosis or initial management in any of the 100 patients. Routine DRE did not detect any unrelated pathology. Of the patients, 93 wanted to know why rectal examination was required. Overall, 78 patients rated the DRE as uncomfortable. Although 43 were willing for DRE as a routine, 54 patients preferred to have the DRE at the time of other bowel tests rather than at the time of the emergency admission. CONCLUSIONS: Various routine medical procedures have given way to evidence-based practice. This study has demonstrated the limited role of routine DRE in adults with no anorectal or GI symptoms during their initial evaluation for acute abdominal pain.     

99MTECHNETIUM LABELLED LEUCOCYTE SCANNING IN ACUTE LOWER ABDOMINAL PAIN: CAN IT REDUCE THE NEGATIVE APPENDECTOMY RATE?

While the incidence of ‘negative’ appendicetomy has long been justified as a necessary evil in the management of acute appendicitis, attempts to improve diagnostic accuracy have met with mixed results. In a prospective study of 34 selected patients who presented with acute lower abdominal pain the potential role of ^99mTechnetium labelled leucocyte scanning in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis has been evaluated. Patient management was not based on the result of the nuclear scan. The clinical outcome was correlated with the scan diagnosis. There was one false positive and one false negative scan result with respect to the clinical diagnosis of appendicitis yielding a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 96%. ^99mTechnetium labelled leucocyte scanning may have an important role in the assessment of selected patients presenting with acute lower abdominal pain.     

Why does the clinical diagnosis fail in suspected appendicitis?

OBJECTIVE: To identify systematic errors in surgeons' estimations of the importance of diagnostic variables in the decision to explore patients with suspected appendicitis. DESIGN: Prospective case series. SETTING: Two emergency departments, Sweden. PATIENTS: 496 patients with suspected appendicitis on admission, of whom 194 had a correct operation for appendicitis and 59 had a negative exploration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Predictors of a negative exploration expressed as the odds ratio (OR) for negative exploration. Variables influence on the decision to operate, expressed as the OR for operation, compared with the true diagnostic importance, expressed as the OR for appendicitis. RESULTS: Predictors of negative explorations were high ratings in variables describing pain and tenderness (patient's perceived pain, abdominal tenderness, rebound tenderness, guarding or rectal tenderness), weak or absent inflammatory response, female sex, long duration of symptoms and absence of vomiting, with OR of 1.8-3.0. Pain and tenderness had too strong an influence on the decision to operate whereas the lack of an inflammatory response, no vomiting, and long duration of symptoms were not given enough attention. There was no sex difference in the proportion of patients with non-surgical abdominal pain (NSAP) who were operated on, but NSAP was more common and appendicitis less common among women, leading to a larger proportion of negative appendicectomies among women. CONCLUSION: Negative explorations in patients with suspected appendicitis are related to systematic errors in the clinical diagnosis with too strong an emphasis on pain and tenderness, and too little attention paid to duration of symptoms and objective signs of inflammation. Rectal tenderness is not a sign of appendicitis. The risk of diagnostic errors is similar in men and women.     

Utility of a scoring system in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in pediatric age. A retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is the most frequent cause of surgical emergency in pediatric age. The aim of this study has been to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a scoring system, retrospectively applied, to the clinical and laboratory parameters in patients with acute appendicitis. METHODS: A group of 156 patients admitted for acute abdominal pain and operated for appendectomy, in the last 3 years, has been included in the study. The mean age was 8.4 years. The modified Alvarado score has been used as scoring system: white count, neutrophil count, fibrinogen level, body temperature, resistance in the right iliac fossa, length of symptoms, nausea/vomiting. The score has been calculated for each patient. They were subdivided into 3 groups. Group I (score 1-4), no admission; Group II (5-6), admission and observation; Group III (7-10), surgery. This subdivision was then compared with the intraoperative notes. RESULTS: Patients were divided into 3 groups. Group I, 24 patients (15%); Group II, 34 patients (22%); Group III, 98 patients (63%). On the basis of the intraoperative notes 61 patients had acute appendicitis and 95 complicated acute appendicitis. In this last subgroup the score gave a percentage of patients to operate of 90.5%. CONCLUSIONS: With the present work we confirm the utility of a scoring system in the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis and in our opinion it is a useful system for a first, rapid and economic evaluation in the pediatric emergency department.     

Appendicitis and non-specific abdominal pain in childhood

Abdominal pain is a common experience during childhood and frequently presents to secondary healthcare facilities. Although non-specific abdominal pain and appendicitis are the most common causes, the clinician should also be aware of the diagnosis and management of all causes of abdominal pain in children. This article provides an overview of abdominal pain in children, including history and examination, initial management, diagnostic categories, modes of investigation, and definitive treatment.     

Appendicitis and non-specific abdominal pain in childhood

Abdominal pain is a common experience during childhood and frequently presents to secondary healthcare facilities. Although non-specific abdominal pain and appendicitis are the most common causes, the clinician should also be aware of the diagnosis and management of all causes of abdominal pain in children. This article provides an overview of abdominal pain in children, including history and examination, initial management, diagnostic categories, modes of investigation, and definitive treatment.     

Clinical decision making and laparoscopy versus computer prediction in the management of the acute abdomen

A prospective study has been undertaken of 321 patients with acute abdominal pain admitted to hospital under one surgical firm over a period of 21 months. During the first 10 months patients were classified on admission according to the perceived need for operation, with laparoscopy being performed on all those in whom the need for operation was uncertain. In addition, all women with suspected appendicitis underwent laparoscopy because previous studies by us and others have demonstrated a high error rate in this group. During the second 11 months of the study a similar system of classification and procedure was used but the patient's initial assessment was entered on a structured data sheet. After the patient had been discharged home this information was entered into a computer-aided diagnosis program. Hypothetical retrospective computer-aided decisions were then made about patient management. The final management error rate (correct decision to operate or not) was compared with the actual error rate using the clinical system. The final overall error rate in the first 10 months was 11 out of 163 patients and this was improved to 3 out of 158 in the second 11 months of the study by the addition of the structured data sheet to selective laparoscopy. A management policy based entirely on diagnostic probabilities taken from the computer-aided diagnosis program would have produced an error rate of 26 out of 158. We conclude that in the management of the acute abdomen a policy based on clinical decision combined with selective laparoscopy may be superior to one based on diagnostic probabilities alone. Further improvement in results follows the introduction of a structured data sheet for initial data collection.     

Appendicitis in pregnancy

Appendicitis continues to be the most common nonobstetric surgical diagnosis in pregnancy. Historically, this diagnosis has been associated with an increased risk of fetal loss as well as maternal morbidity. The physiologic and anatomic changes in pregnancy have been thought to obscure and thus delay the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, contributing to its increased risk in pregnancy. Such increased risks have been well reported in literature. To further evaluate the overall incidence, to determine the factors contributing to delay in diagnosis, and to assess overall outcomes in appendicitis in pregnancy, we performed a retrospective contemporary evaluation of pregnant patients with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis during the period 1991-1998. Twenty-two patients had the combined admitting diagnoses of pregnancy and acute appendicitis among 44,845 deliveries for the same time period (incidence, 0.05%). Gestational stage at diagnosis was the first trimester in 5 patients (22%), second trimester in 6 patients (27%), and third trimester in 11 patients (50%). Nineteen patients (86%) had pathologically proven acute appendicitis. Sixteen patients (73%) presented with less than 24 hours of abdominal symptoms. Seventeen patients (77%) presented with findings of rebound and guarding on initial physical examination. Fifteen patients (68%) were taken to the operating room within 24 hours of presentation. Of these, 10 patients (68%) had acute perforated appendicitis. Overall, there were 12 cases of perforated appendicitis (55%), which is an incidence higher than what has been reported in literature. There were no instances of fetal mortality. Preterm labor occurred in 5 patients, all in their third trimester with perforated appendicitis. Our study found that our population paralleled the incidence of gestational appendicitis of 0.05-0.07 per cent; physical examination on presentation was the most reliable diagnostic tool for appendicitis; and there is a higher incidence of perforation with increased gestational age, which does not result in increased fetal mortality.     

Acute abdomen: experience with 196 consecutive cases

The authors studied 196 consecutive emergency admissions to their unit with a diagnosis of non-traumatic acute abdomen. The data were analysed in order to evaluate the demographic data, the diagnostic procedures performed and treatments administered, and the reliability of the admission diagnosis in comparison with the final diagnosis. During the study period acute abdomen emergencies amounted to 7% of the total admissions to the unit. Laboratory tests and abdominal ultrasonography were the most frequently used diagnostic tools, followed by plain film of the abdomen and CT scans, the latter being used in a distinctly lower number of cases. Seventy patients out of 196 (35.7%) underwent an emergency surgical procedure. The most frequently reported disease was acute appendicitis. Sixty-one of the subjects (31.1%) with acute abdomen were successfully treated conservatively while 65 (33.2%) were diagnosed as being affected by non-splanchnic-diseases, and thus categorised as cases of false acute abdomen The Authors conclude that the diagnostic work-up for acute abdomen always needs a precise clinical history and a complete physical examination, but in some instances the support of widely available facilities, such as plain x-rays, ultrasonography, or CT scans can help to avoid useless surgical procedures or, conversely, potentially dangerous delays in administering treatment.     

Acute appendicitis: a study on 118 patients

One hundred eighteen patients with acute appendicitis operated on at Kawasaki Medical School Hospital during the 8-year period from Aug. 1, 1976 to Feb. 29, 1984 were reviewed. There were 78 children and 40 adults. The clinico-pathological types of acute appendicitis were: simple acute in 35 cases (29.7%); phlegmonous in 30 cases (25.4%); gangrenous in 24 cases (20.3%) and perforated in 29 cases (24.6%). Of the 78 children, 27 (34.6%) had perforated appendixes, whereas of the 40 adults only 2 (5.0%) showed perforated appendicitis. The initial symptoms were abdominal pain in 96.6%; nausea, vomiting or both in 33.1%, and fever in 11.9%. The physical findings on admission were abdominal tenderness in 99.2%, rebound tenderness in 52.5% and palpable mass in 17.8%. The mean body temperature on admission was 37.2 degrees C, and mean WBC count was 12,900/mm3. The roentgenography of the abdomen revealed the "sentinel loop sign" in 66.3%. In the patients under 15 years of age, the frequency of perforation seen in those underwent operation within 24 hours after onset and in those after 24 hours was 12.7% and 56.4%, respectively. From this result, it is advised that all the young patients suspected of having acute appendicitis should be admitted to the hospital promptly, and the diagnosis should be made within 24 hours.     

Procalcitonin as the Biomarker of Inflammation in Diagnosis of Appendicitis in Pediatric Patients and Prevention of Unnecessary Appendectomies

Numerous diseases mimic appendicitis, and it is often difficult to rule it out on the basis of clinical presentation. Concentration of procalcitonin selectively increases in inflammatory conditions and determination of its level can help in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. A prospective, single centre based observational study carried out at our tertiary care institute. Twenty eight patients were admitted with preliminary diagnosis of acute appendicitis. The control group involved around 12 healthy children. Serum Procalcitonin concentration was measured in all patients using the ‘Immunoluminometric Method’ (LUMI- Test PCT), besides carrying out clinical examination and other investigations. The serums PCT comes out to be a better diagnostic test than serum CRP measurement as serum PCT was able to differentiate patients who came with abdominal pain but were having normal appendix from the patients who were actual cases of acute appendicitis. In patients with histologically confirmed acute appendicitis the level of PCT was above the normal value of 0.5 ng/ml in most cases. The analysis of procalcitonin in different groups of patients showed the serum procalcitonin test having high sensitivity of 95.65% and a specificity of about 100% on the basis of histopathological diagnosis of the removed appendix taking as the standard. The serum procalcitonin test when combined with reliable clinical signs and symptoms is an excellent diagnostic marker of the disease and should be done in the patients of pediatric appendicitis so that proper handling of the patient can be done and we can prevent unnecessary appendectomies.     

Laparoscopy in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children

In the period between 1984 and 1988 laparoscopy was conducted 846 times in children with suspected acute appendicitis. In 301 children the diagnosis was confirmed in atypical forms of appendicitis. In 418 children laparoscopy revealed diseases which are recognized with great difficulties (mesadenitis, primary peritonitis, genital diseases, etc.), in which the final diagnosis is usually established during laparotomy. In 39 children laparoscopic diagnosis was conducted during intercurrent diseases in which the abdominal pain syndrome simulated the clinical picture of acute appendicitis. As the result of laparoscopic examination the number of operations for simple forms reduced from 38.3 to 6.2% and the timely diagnosis of acute appendicitis improved.     

Surgical management of acute abdominal pain in children

Acute abdominal pain is one of the most frequent causes of admission to an emergency department of a children's hospital. It continues to be a clinical challenge and the diagnosis viewed with the most apprehension is acute appendicitis. The clinical examination must be meticulous and repeated in order to assess the evolution of the abdominal syndrome and to adapt the paraclinic examinations. All the abdominal pains are not surgical but justify an admission for observation in pediatric surgical department.     

Pitfalls in paediatric appendicitis: Highlighting common clinical features of missed cases

OBJECTIVE: Missed cases of paediatric appendicitis lead to a delay in diagnosis and increased complications during the subsequent surgery. We aim to identify the common clinical features of such cases at the time of first hospital attendance. METHODS: Case records of patients with a missed diagnosis were reviewed retrospectively, documenting the presentation, preliminary investigations, initial diagnosis and eventual outcome. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients fitted our criteria over a 2-year and 5-month period. The rate of "missed appendicitis" was 7%. The commonest symptoms and signs were that of nausea and vomiting (74.4%), abdominal pain (74.4%) and fever (61.5%). The site of abdominal pain was rarely in the right iliac fossa (5.1%). The two commonest diagnoses made at first presentation was that of gastroenteritis (51.3%) and constipation (25.6%). Twenty patients (51.3%) were initially discharged home. Compared to those initially admitted, more of those initially discharged home underwent surgery delayed beyond 24 hours from first presentation. CONCLUSION: The paucity of symptoms and signs in the right lower quadrant does not exclude appendicitis. Gastroenteritis and colic constipation are the greatest masqueraders of paediatric appendicitis. A high index of suspicion, therefore, is necessary to avoid wrongful discharge altogether.     

Diagnostisch-therapeutisches Management des akuten Abdomens in Hajah (Jemen)

We report on the results of surgical treatment in 236 patients admitted with clinical signs of acute abdomen between the 1st of January 2000 and the 31st of December 2003 at the District Hospital of Hajah in northwest Yemen. Hajah, a city 2500 m above sea level, has 60,000 inhabitants and serves an area with 800,000 inhabitants. The hospital was funded by the Saudi Arabian government and built in 1997. Data on patients with acute abdominal pain were prospectively collected and analysed according to diagnosis, age, sex, and duration of symptoms. The most frequent cause was acute appendicitis, followed by incarcerated inguinal hernia. Complicated ulcer diseases of the upper gastrointestinal tract and gynaecological disorders were also frequently diagnosed. Gunshot wounds were the most frequent trauma. Despite the limited diagnostic equipment at the Hajah District Hospital and the short duration of hospital stay, there was no fatal event during the 1-year period analysed. The management of patients with acute abdominal pain and the ability to arrive at exact diagnosis is dependent on the availability of diagnostic means such as abdominal ultrasound and CT scan. However, especially in rural countries with only rudimentary technology, far more depends on the professional training and qualification of the surgeons responsible.