Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 55, Issue 1 , Pages 51-59.e1 , January 2010

Diagnostic Accuracy of Noncontrast Computed Tomography for Appendicitis in Adults: A Systematic Review

  • Veronica Hlibczuk, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York–Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress for correspondence: Veronica Hlibczuk, MD, Division of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, 622 West 168th St, PH1-137, New York, NY 10032; 212-305-2995, fax 212-305-6792
    • ,
  • Judith A. Dattaro, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Emergency Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York–Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY
    • ,
  • Zhezhen Jin, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY
    • ,
  • Louise Falzon, BA

      Affiliations

    • Mount Sinai Heart, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
    • ,
  • Michael D. Brown, MD, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Division of Emergency Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI

Received 25 March 2009 ,Revised 15 June 2009 ,Accepted 24 June 2009.

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    Search and study selection flow diagram. EM, Emergency medicine.

    Search and study selection flow diagram. EM, Emergency medicine.

  • Image Result

    Forest plot of individual study sensitivity and specificity.

    Forest plot of individual study sensitivity and specificity.

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    Methodological quality summary.

    Methodological quality summary.

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    SROC curve analysis of unenhanced CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Individual studies are depicted as circles. The SROC curve was created using the (unweighted) method as described by Moses

    SROC curve analysis of unenhanced CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Individual studies are depicted as circles. The SROC curve was created using the (unweighted) method as described by Moses et al2 (see text for explanation).

 Supervising editor: Allan B. Wolfson, MD

 Author contributions: VH and JAD conceived the study and reviewed and assessed all relevant studies. VH, JAD, and MDB supervised the conduct of the systematic review and data collection. VH, JAD, and LF conducted the search of all relevant electronic databases, meeting abstracts, and bibliographies. ZJ and MDB provided statistical advice. VH, JAD, ZJ, and MDB analyzed the data. VH and JAD drafted the article, and all authors contributed substantially to its revision. VH takes responsibility for the paper as a whole.

 Funding and support: By Annals policy, all authors are required to disclose any and all commercial, financial, and other relationships in any way related to the subject of this article that might create any potential conflict of interest. The authors have stated that no such relationships exist. See the Manuscript Submission Agreement in this issue for examples of specific conflicts covered by this statement.

 Earn CME Credit: Continuing Medical Education is available for this article at: http://www.ACEP.EMedHome.com.

 Reprints not available from the authors.

 Publication date: Available online September 5, 2009.

 Please see page 52 for the Editor's Capsule Summary of this article.

 Provide feedback on this article at the journal's Web site, www.annemergmed.com.

PII: S0196-0644(09)01140-8

doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2009.06.509

Annals of Emergency Medicine
Volume 55, Issue 1 , Pages 51-59.e1 , January 2010

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