USEFULNESS OF THE ALVARADO SCALE IN THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF APPENDICITIS

Abstract

The usefulness of the Alvarado scale for the early diagnosis of acute appendicitis in hospital patients was evaluated. This is a descriptive, observational, cross-sectional study where 183 medical records of patients treated in the General Surgery emergency department were reviewed from January 1 to December 31, 2015 at a Public Hospital in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The group of patients most affected correspond to the male sex (53.6% (98), of the age groups of 18-40 years of age (75.50%), mixed race (70.5%), followed in a smaller proportion by the white race (17.5%). Pain in the right iliac fossa and migratory pain were the components of the scale present in 100% (183) of the patients. The highest proportion of patients (90%) presented positive test for the Alvarado scale showing high sensitivity (87.10%) and specificity (76.30%), therefore this scale is a useful test for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, and can be used as a method of initial assessment to determine the need for appendectomy when your score is greater seven.

Keywords: Alvarado scale, appendicitis, utility, diagnosis.

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