Role of cellular indices in predicting post-appendectomy abscess in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Surgery
• Inflammatory Biomarkers
• Diagnostic Accuracy

Background:

• Postoperative abscesses complicate up to 20% of advanced appendicitis cases in children.
• These complications increase morbidity, mortality, and hospital stays.
• Predictive tools for early identification of at-risk patients are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in predicting post-appendectomy abscess (PAA).
• To compare the predictive performance of NLR and PLR against traditional leukocyte and neutrophil counts.

Main Methods:

• A diagnostic study included pediatric patients (<15 years) who underwent appendectomy between 2021-2022.
• Preoperative values of leukocytes, neutrophils, NLR, and PLR were analyzed.
• Area under the ROC curve (AUC) assessed the predictive capacity of each parameter for PAA versus non-PAA (NPAA) groups.

Main Results:

• The study included 89 patients with PAA and 93 NPAA.
• NLR and PLR demonstrated predictive capacity for PAA.
• Further analysis is required to establish their superiority over standard cell counts.

Conclusions:

• Cellular indices, specifically NLR and PLR, show promise as predictors of post-appendectomy abscesses in pediatric patients.
• These ratios may serve as valuable adjuncts in identifying children at higher risk for appendicitis complications.
• Further research can validate their clinical utility in routine practice.