• Sanimir Suljendić, Almira Ćosićkić, Azra Hadžić-Kečalović, and Denis Žigić.
• Clinic for Children's Diseases, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
• Med Glas (Zenica). 2024 Sep 1; 21 (2): 315320315-320.

AimTo evaluate diagnostic reliability of accessible laboratory findings in recognition of acute appendicitis (AA).MethodsA retrospective study included children aged 0-15 years with abdominal pain that lasted less than 5 days with at least two of the signs/symptoms - abdominal pain, tenderness of the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, "return" sensitivity of the abdomen to palpation, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, body temperature >37.2°C. Values of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and the leukocyte count were analyzed in the peripheral blood.ResultsAmong 114 children, 63 (58.2%) were boys and 50 (41.8%) girls; median age of 9.5 years. Elevated values of PCT were found in 74 (65.5%), CRP in 94 (83.1%), and leukocytes in 78 (69%) (65%) children. Almost uniform significance in the recognition of AA was found for pathological values of PCT and CRP with sensitivity of 65% and 83% and diagnostic accuracy of 63% and 59%, respectively, but somewhat lower sensitivity for leukocytes, 61%. A very high predictive value of 98% for PCT and CRP, and PCT with leukocytes was found; CRP with leukocytes had a negative predictive value of 100%.ConclusionPCT values have significant sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy in recognizing AA, while CRP and leukocytes, with high sensitivity, as non-specific markers can be a significant support for clinical assessment in the timely diagnosis of AA.Copyright© by the Medical Association of Zenica-Doboj Canton.

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