Abstract

Objective: Clinical diagnosis of appendicitis is still challenging, as many of its symptoms may be nonspecific and the presentation may be variable, especially in young children. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of total serum bilirubin (TSB) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in predicting complicated appendicitis.

Methods: In this study, the records of 220 patients who underwent appendectomy with the pre-diagnosis of acute appendicitis in our clinic between January-2020 and August-2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, and CRP and TSB levels of the patients were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups according to the postoperative histopathology as acute complicated appendicitis (Group-1) and acute non-complicated appendicitis (Group-2). There were 72 patients in Group-1 and 148 patients in Group-2.

Results: TSB levels were high in 75% of patients in group 1 and 19% of patients in group 2. While the CRP level increased in 90% of the patients in the 1st group, it increased in 34% of the 2nd group. While the mean TSB levels were 1.16 ± 0.90 mg/dL in Group-1, they were 0.56 ± 0.35 mg/ dL in Group-2. The mean value of CRP was 77.8 ± 59.5 mg/dL and 22.9 ± 14.20 mg/dL, respectively. CRP and TSB levels were statistically significantly higher in patients with acute complicated appendicitis.

Conclusion: Because they are cheap, simple and readily available in almost every laboratory, CRP and TSB can be used as a clinical marker to support the diagnosis in patients with clinically suspected acute complicated appendicitis.

Cite as: Dursun A, Öztaş T. Two markers for the prediction of acute complicated appendicitis in children: Total serum bilirubin and C-reactive protein. Coc Cer Derg/Turkish J Ped Surg 2022; 36(1); 24-28. doi: 10.29228/JTAPS.56777