ArticleIndian journal of pediatrics2026
Risk Factors for False-Positive Ultrasound in Pediatric Acute Appendicitis: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Article in Indian journal of pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo identify independent predictors of false-positive ultrasound (US) in children evaluated for suspected appendicitis.
methodsA prospective cohort study was conducted from 1 January 2022 to 31 October 2025 including children presenting with suspected appendicitis whose initial abdominal US was positive. Final diagnosis was determined by histopathology in operated patients and structured clinical follow-up in non-operated patients. Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of false-positive US.
resultsAmong 1174 children assessed, 564 had a positive US and were included. Of these, 81 (14.4%) were ultimately classified as false-positive. The negative appendectomy rate was 7.6%. The mean age was 9.5 ± 2.6 y and males accounted for 64.9% of the cohort. On multivariable analysis, four factors were independently associated with false-positive US. These factors included diarrhea (OR 2.15; p = 0.025), Alvarado score ≤ 5 (OR 2.22; p = 0.007), white blood cell count < 12 × 10⁹/L (OR 2.15; p = 0.004), and C-reactive protein ≤ 10 mg/L (OR 1.95; p = 0.016).
conclusionsFalse-positive US occurred in 14.4% of children with suspected appendicitis and resulted in a measurable negative appendectomy rate. Diarrhea, low Alvarado scores, and low inflammatory markers identified clinical contexts in which a positive US was less likely to correspond to true surgical disease. Incorporating these factors into diagnostic decision-making may reduce unnecessary appendectomy and support safe observation strategies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
41801650What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.