%0 Journal Article
%T Clinical Scoring for Diagnosis of Acute Lower Abdominal Pain in Female of Reproductive Age
%A Kijja Jearwattanakanok
%A Sirikan Yamada
%A Watcharin Suntornlimsiri
%A Waratsuda Smuthtai
%A Jayanton Patumanond
%J Emergency Medicine International
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/730167
%X Background. Obstetrics and gynecological conditions (OB-GYNc) are difficult to be differentiated from appendicitis in young adult females presenting with acute lower abdominal pain. Timely and correct diagnosis is clinically challenging. Method. A retrospective data analysis was performed on 542 female patients who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital with a chief complaint of acute lower abdominal pain. Diagnostic indicators of appendicitis and OB-GYNc were identified by stepwise multivariable polytomous logistic regression. Diagnostic performances of the scores were tested. Result. The developed clinical score is comprised of (1) guarding or rebound tenderness, (2) pregnancy, (3) sites of abdominal tenderness, (4) leukocytosis, (5) peripheral neutrophils ¡Ý75%, and (6) presence of diarrhea. For diagnosis of appendicitis, the area under the ROC curve was 0.8696, and the sensitivity and specificity were 89.25% and 70.00%. For OB-GYNc, the corresponding values were 0.8450, 66.67%, and 94.85%, respectively. Conclusion. The clinical scoring system can differentiate the diagnosis of acute lower abdominal pain in young adult females. Time spent for diagnosis at the emergency room may be shortened, and the patients would be admitted to the appropriate departments in less time. 1. Introduction Diagnosis of acute lower abdominal pain in young adult female is a clinical challenge. Appendicitis and obstetrics and gynecological conditions (OB-GYNc), such as ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory diseases, and complicated ovarian cyst, are common causes of acute lower abdominal pain in females during reproductive age [1]. Accurate and timely diagnosis of the condition is critical since incorrect diagnosis can lead to improper surgical intervention, and delayed diagnosis results in delayed management of urgent conditions [2]. Emergency physicians play an important role in early diagnosis and prompt management of the conditions. Experienced emergency physicians can detect important clinical findings and give a provisional diagnosis to a patient before transferring her to general surgery or obstetrics and gynecology departments according to their judgment. Previous studies showed that some clinical indicators were helpful to distinguish appendicitis and common obstetrics and gynecological conditions (OB-GYNc) from nonspecific abdominal pain (NSAP) [3]. To resolve the difficulty in diagnosis of acute lower abdominal pain in female patients, whose appendicitis is confounded by OB-GYNc, imaging studies had been done. Imaging investigations such as ultrasonography,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/emi/2013/730167/