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Acute AppendicitisNCT05168410

Sensitivity and Specificity of the Alvarado Score for the Timely Differential Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in Samoa

An observational study of Acute Appendicitis, run by Dr Annette Kaspar.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Retrospective clinical data review design of all patients admitted to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital Surgical Unit for AA from January 2015 to December 2016. Exclusion criteria were appendiceal abscess and/or mass, and final diagnosis 'not acute appendicitis'. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
Conditions the study is for
Acute Appendicitis
What is being tested?
Alvarado Score
How many people
225 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
Jan 2015to Dec 2016
How long will I take part?
2 Weeks
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Study population: All Acute Appendicitis cases seen by the Surgical Department of TTM Hospital over the 24-month period between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. The final number of included for analysis was 225 cases.

Who may be able to join

  • All Acute Appendicitis (AA) cases seen by the Surgical Department of TTM Hospital over the 24-month period between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016.

Who cannot join

  • Final diagnosis was not Acute Appendicitis (i.e., ectopic pregnancy, tubal ovarian abscess, other gynaecological pathologies, diverticulitis, Merkel diverticulitis, perforated ulcer)
  • Final diagnosis was appendiceal abscess and/or appendiceal mass.
  • Clinical records with missing data

About this study

Retrospective clinical data review design of all patients admitted to the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital Surgical Unit for AA from January 2015 to December 2016. Exclusion criteria were appendiceal abscess and/or mass, and final diagnosis 'not acute appendicitis'. Age, sex, village, Alvarado Score, Ultrasound Scan Result, surgical management, and histopathology result were the main variables entered into the SPSS statistical software package for analysis.

Read the detailed description

METHODS

Study Design and Data Collection

A retrospective study design was used to evaluate all AA cases seen by the Surgical Department of TTM Hospital over the 24-month period between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2016. The clinical medical records were obtained from the National Health Service PATIS System, using the search terms 'appendicitis', 'acute appendicitis', and 'appendicectomy'. A total of 289 records were retrieved. Thirty four (34) records were excluded having met the exclusion criteria: (1) final diagnosis was not AA (i.e., ectopic pregnancy, tubal ovarian abscess, other gynaecological pathologies, diverticulitis, Merkel diverticulitis, perforated ulcer), and (2) appendiceal abscess and/or appendiceal mass. Thirty (30) clinical records with missing data, and these were also excluded from the study. The final number of included for analysis was 225 cases. All 225 cases were initially treated with intravenous antibiotics upon presentation to the emergency department as per the National Health Service antibiotic guidelines: intravenous ceftriaxone and metronidazole was the first line of treatment, and alternative antibiotics were administered if unavailable (i.e., clindamycin + gentamycin or ampicillin, or gentamycin + metronidazole).

A purpose-designed data collection form and excel spreadsheet were created for the study. The following information was extracted from the clinical records: patient gender (male/female), age (years), address (urban/rural), time of admission (Morning/Afternoon/Night Shift), use of traditional/alternative medicine prior to attending emergency department (yes/no), administration of antibiotics by emergency department staff (yes/no), Alvarado Score (1-10), Ultrasound Scan for AA (Positive/negative/Inconclusive/Not performed), management of AA (appendicectomy/antibiotic therapy), intra-operative macroscopic examination (Grade 1-5), histopathology result for AA (Positive/Negative/Inconclusive/Not available), length of stay in hospital (days), and mortality (yes/no).

Data analysis The data was analysed using the SPSS (Version 2.1) statistical software package. Descriptive analysis was performed, and the chi-square test of significance was used to investigate for statistically significant differences between variables (significant at p<0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Negative Predictive Value (NPV) were calculated for the Alvarado Score in identifying AA as confirmed by histopathology.

Being tested
Alvarado Score
Keywords
Alvarado Score
Medical subject headings
Appendicitis

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Alvarado ScoreOther

    The Alvarado Score assesses patient symptoms to enable optimal triage and management of cases with suspected acute appendicitis.a

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Effectiveness of the Alvarado Score for the identification of acute appendicitis in Samoa

    The sensitivity of the Alvarado Score will be calculated for correct diagnosis of acute appendicitis based on confirmed acute appendicitis by histopathology results

    Measured: 24 months

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Accuracy of the Alvarado Score for the identification of acute appendicitis in Samoa

    The specificity of the Alvarado Score will be calculated for correct diagnosis of acute appendicitis based on confirmed cases of acute appendicitis by histopathology

    Measured: 24 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted23 Dec 2021
  2. Study startJan 2015
  3. Primary completionDec 2016
  4. Study completionDec 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Other
Enrolment
225 participants (actual)
Target duration
2 Weeks
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05168410
Sponsor's protocol ID
s994956
Status last verified
Dec 2021
First submitted
14 Nov 2021
Last updated
23 Dec 2021
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: There is no plan to share IPD with other researchers.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Acute Appendicitis, run by Dr Annette Kaspar.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Dec 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Effectiveness of the Alvarado Score for the identification of acute appendicitis in Samoa (time frame: 24 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Dec 2021.

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