DOI: 10.36347/sasjs

Pages: 30-34

Acute Appendicitis is a common surgical case a surgeon confronts in the Emergency Department (ED). Early diagnosis is essential to prevent morbidity and mortality in patients with acute appendicitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Modified Alvarado Scoring System in diagnosing Acute Appendicitis in the ED. This was a prospective, observational study of patients presenting with complaints of acute pain in right lower abdomen to the ED. All consecutive patients of both sexes, ≥ 18 years of age, and presenting with a history of right lower abdomen pain were included in the study. Patients with right lower abdomen pain diagnosed to have urological or gynecological pathology or a mass in the right iliac fossa were excluded. Patients with suspected acute appendicitis were assessed using Modified Alvarado Scoring System. Treatment decision was made by the treating surgeon. HPE reports of all the patients were recorded. On analyzing the results, a total of 60 patients were enrolled. Modified Alvarado score showed that 76.3% (45) patients were positive for acute appendicitis, whereas the HPE report showed 74.5% (44) were positive for acute appendicitis, with a sensitivity of 90.9%, specificity of 66.66%, PPV of 88.88%, NPV of 71.42% and a negative appendectomy rate of 16.6%. The comparison was statistically significant with a p-value of 0.001. In conclusion, the Modified Alvarado Score is a swift, simplistic, and dependable diagnostic modality in the diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis. Being non-invasive, it is a practical and economical scoring system which improves diagnostic accuracy of acute appendicitis in the ED.