What Elements of the History, Examination, Laboratory Testing, or Point-of-Care Ultrasonography Are Most Useful in the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis in Children?

The search strategy yielded a total of 2,921 references, of which 21 trials were included, totaling 8,605 patients. In studies in which suspected acute appendicitis was an inclusion criterion, the weighted prevalence was 42.8% compared with 13.4% in studies of undifferentiated abdominal pain. None of the identified history, physical examination, or laboratory findings had sufficient positive or negative likelihood ratios to rule in or rule out acute appendicitis in patients with suspected acute appendicitis (Table).

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