MODIFIED ALVARADO SCORE; ACCURACY IN DIAGNOSIS OF ACUTE APPENDICITIS IN ADULTS.

To compare the frequency of inflamed appendix in suspected patients of acute appendicitis having Modified AlvaradoScore (MAS) of 7 or more with patients having MAS of 6 or below. Design: Comparative cross sectional study. Place and duration of study:The study was carried out at Surgical Departments of Combined Military Hospital (CMH) and Military Hospital (MH) Rawalpindi from April 2006to April 2007. Material and Methods: This study involved 100 patients who were operated with provisional diagnosis of acute appendicitis.Preoperatively MAS of each patient was calculated and the patients were divided in two groups. Group-I had MAS of 7 or more while Group-IIhad MAS of 6 or below. Postoperatively appendices of all the patients were sent for histopathological examination and its result regardingpresence or absence of acute appendicitis was then compared with MAS of respective group. Results: (a) Group-I:- A total of 72 patients with64(88.9%) positive inflamed appendices on histology. Negative appendicectomy rate 8(11.1%), (b) Group-II:- A total of 28 patients with 8(28.6)positive inflamed appendices. Negative appendicectomy rate 20(71.4%). There is statistical significant difference of positive appendicectomyrate between two groups with (p-value<0.001). Conclusion: Frequency of inflamed appendix is more in patients having MAS of seven orabove. The number of negative appendicectomies can be reduced by using MAS in clinical practice.