In this study, investigators reviewed the hospital records for 412 adult patients admitted to University of Wisconsin Hospital during a three-year period. The researchers compared the white blood cell counts taken from patients both upon arrival to the emergency room and at the operating room. Of the 410 patients showing signs of acute appendicitis, more than half (62%) had a CT scan before the removal of their appendix.
Patients who were ordered a CT scan were older, more likely to be female and had experienced a longer waiting period between admittance and surgery than those who were not ordered a scan (8.2 vs. 5.1 hours). Additionally, perforation was seen in 17 percent of those who had a CT scan, while only eight percent of those who did not get a CT scan experienced perforation.
"These findings suggest that pre-operative CT scanning in patients experiencing acute appendicitis symptoms should be used selectively," said Herbert Chen, M.D., of University of Wisconsin and lead author of the study. "CT imaging may delay surgery, increasing the likelihood of the appendix rupturing and causing potentially dangerous complications for the patient."
Dr. Sandeepa Musunuru will present this study on Tuesday, May 22, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 202A.
The Utilization of Colonoscopy as a Screening Method For Colorectal Cancer: The Experience of Two U.S. Metropolitan Teaching Hospitals with Significant Documented Racial Differences in The Prevalence and Distribution of Advanced Neoplastic Lesions (Abstract #595)
When screening for colorectal cancer, there are many different test options; however, there has been no consensus on the most appropriate screening method for specific subsets of patients. In this study, researchers evaluated tests to detect advanced neoplastic lesions (lesions with high risk of progression to cancer or actual cancer), seeking to identify possible racial disparities b
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Contact: Aimee Frank
AFrank@gastro.org
301-941-2620
American Gastroenterological Association
22-May-2007