Clinical, laboratory and radiological characteristics of cases treated initially non-operatively or operatively
| Non-operative (n=326) | Operative (n=512) | P value | ||
| Age (years) | 10.5 (8–13) | 10 (8–12) | 0.19 | |
| Male (n, %) | 195 (60) | 331 (65) | 0.16 | |
| Duration of symptoms (hours) | 36 (24–72) | 48 (24–72) | 0.58 | |
| Specialty (n, %) | GS | 140 (43) | 202 (39) | 0.35 |
| SPS | 186 (57) | 310 (61) | ||
| Admission bloods | WCC—×109/L | 14.4 (10.7–17.8) | 15.2 (12.0–18.5) | 0.01 |
| CRP—mg/L | 32 (7.1–81) | 52 (15–126) | <0.0001 | |
| US performed (n, %) | 193 (59) | 227 (44) | <0.0001 | |
| CT performed (n, %) | 16 (4.9) | 30 (5.9) | 0.76 | |
| Suspected severity at diagnosis (n, %)* | Simple | 259 (80) | 341 (67) | <0.0001 |
| Complicated | 40 (12) | 161 (31) | ||
| Appendix mass | 25 (7.7) | 10 2.0) | ||
*For two cases suspected severity was missing.
CRP, C reactive protein; GS, general surgeon; SPS, specialist paediatric surgeon; US, Ultrasound scan; WCC, white cell count.