Clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics of cases treated initially operatively stratified by open or laparoscopic procedure
| Open (n=262) | Laparoscopic (n=243) | P value | ||
| Age (years) | 10 (7–12) | 11 (9–13) | 0.0004 | |
| Male (n,%) | 176 (67) | 149 (61) | 0.19 | |
| Specialty (n,%) | GS | 119 (60) | 81 (40) | 0.006 |
| SPS | 143 (47) | 162 (53) | ||
| Admission bloods | WCC—×109/L | 15.6 (12.3–18.6) | 14.9 (11.6–18.0) | 0.34 |
| CRP—mg/L | 52 (15–130) | 52 (15–124) | 0.91 | |
| US performed (n,%) | 101 (39) | 122 (50) | 0.009 | |
| CT performed (n,%) | 18 (6.8) | 12 (4.9) | 0.19 | |
| Suspected severity pre-operatively (n,%) | Simple | 182 (69) | 155 (64) | 0.40 |
| Complicated | 76 (29) | 84 (35) | ||
| Appendix mass | 4 (1.5) | 4 (1.7) | ||
| Operative findings (n,%) | Normal | 13 (5.0) | 10 (4.1) | 0.66 |
| Mass | 7 (2.7) | 8 (3.3) | ||
| Simple | 128 (49) | 108 (44) | ||
| Complicated | 113 (43) | 117 (48) | ||
Data missing for seven cases.
CRP, C reactive protein; GS, general surgeon; SPS, specialist paediatric surgeon; US, Ultrasound scan; WCC, white cell count.