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Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of modified Alvarado score in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Background Diagnosis of acute appendicitis is sometimes difficult. Prompt and accurate diagnosis of appendicitis is crucial in lowering the incidence of complications caused by appendiceal rupture. A number of scoring systems have been advocated to minimize the number of negative appendectomies; the most prominent and most commonly used of those scores is that developed by Alvarado and modified by Kalan. Patients and methods A total of 100 patients with acute lower abdominal pain suspecting acute appendicitis were included, examined clinically, and their modified Alvarado score was calculated and listed. All specimens of appendectomies were sent to histopathological examination and then their results were compared with the results of modified Alvarado score. Results The results of this study showed that modified Alvarado score at the cutoff value of at least 7 has a sensitivity of 93.33%, specificity of 52.94%, accuracy of 84.42%, and negative appendectomy rate of 12.5%. Conclusion The Alvarado score is a cheap, reliable, and reproducible diagnostic tool. When the score is high (≥7), there are strong indications for urgent surgery. When the score is low (<4), the diagnosis of appendicitis is very unlikely.

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