Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Características clínicas e epidemiológicas do adulto contagiante da criança com tuberculose Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of contagious adult of tuberculosis in children

INTRODUÇÃO: A tuberculose em crianças geralmente está associada ao convívio com um adulto contagiante. OBJETIVO: Descrever o perfil do adulto contagiante da criança com tuberculose identificada na rede pública de saúde. MÉTODO: Estudo de casos. Incluiram-se todas as crianças menores de quatorze anos com diagnóstico de tuberculose em tratamento na rede pública de saúde de Porto Alegre (RS). Foram feitas entrevistas com questionário estruturado com dados demográficos e da doença na criança e no contagiante. RESULTADOS: No período de 21 de julho de 2001 a 10 de agosto de 2002 foram selecionadas 50 crianças (96% dos diagnósticos em crianças no período) com média de idade de 76 meses, 60% do sexo feminino. As formas pulmonares clássicas (consolidação ou cavitação) foram observadas em 38% das crianças. A maioria dos pacientes fez o diagnóstico em nível hospitalar, vivia em famílias com seis pessoas em média, e com renda familiar inferior a dois salários mínimos regionais. A co-infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana foi identificada em 25% dos pacientes que realizaram o teste de ELISA. As crianças freqüentavam regularmente outro local além de sua residência. O contagiante foi identificado em 78% dos casos, sendo 56% do sexo masculino, com idade média de 32 anos e na maioria das vezes era um parente (79%), geralmente pai ou mãe. Neste grupo de adultos, a co-infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana foi identificada em 43% dos indivíduos testados. CONCLUSÃO: O contato intradomiciliar com adulto tuberculoso continua a ser a mais importante fonte de contágio para a criança. A co-infecção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana é um importante achado tanto na criança quanto no adulto. Enfatiza-se a necessidade de se investigar a criança contato e se buscar o caso índice em toda criança com diagnóstico de tuberculose.BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis in children generally occurs as a direct result of cohabitation with a contagious adult. OBJECTIVE: To create a profile of a typical adult with contagious tuberculosis (as identified through the public health system) living with a child who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. METHOD: Case study. Children younger than 14 years of age who were diagnosed with tuberculosis were included. Parents were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Means and standard deviations were analyzed using the Student's t-test. Fisher's exact test or the Dz test was used for comparisons. RESULTS: Fifty children, representing 96% of those diagnosed with tuberculosis in the Porto Alegre health care system between July 20, 2001 and August 10, 2002, were included. The mean age was 76 months, and 60% were girls. The classic forms of pulmonary presentation (consolidation or cavitation) were seen in 38%. The majority of the children were diagnosed in the hospital and came from homes in which there were (a mean of) 6 cohabitants and a total family income less than 2 times the local minimum wage. Using ELISA, HIV co-infection was identified in 25% (although not all were tested). The children regularly visited places other than their homes. In 78% of cases, the contagious adult was identified. These contagious adults were mostly males (56%), and the mean age was 32. In most cases (79%), the contagious adult was a relative, usually a parent. Within this group of adults with contagious tuberculosis, HIV co-infection was identified in 43% of those tested. CONCLUSIONS: Adults with contagious tuberculosis living in the home continue to be the most likely source of tuberculosis infection in children. Co-infection with HIV in these pediatric patients, as well as in the cohabiting adults with contagious tuberculosis, is a significant finding. It must be emphasized that the possibility of contact with contagious individuals in the home should be explored in every diagnosed case of pediatric tuberculosis