Simplified predictive model for intussusception in children: combining radiographic and clinical features

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Gastroenterology
• Diagnostic Imaging
• Clinical Decision Making

Background:

• Intussusception is a common cause of abdominal pain in children.
• Accurate and timely diagnosis is crucial for effective treatment.
• Current screening methods may have limitations in specificity or sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of combining plain abdominal radiography with clinical symptoms for initial intussusception screening.
• To determine if this combined approach improves diagnostic accuracy compared to individual methods.
• To establish a practical screening strategy for suspected pediatric intussusception.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 152 children under 16 with suspected intussusception.
• Analysis of demographic data, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and abdominal radiography.
• Logistic regression and ROC curves used to identify predictors and assess diagnostic performance.

Main Results:

• Intussusception diagnosed in 90/152 patients.
• Vomiting, intermittent pain, and positive radiography were significant predictors (ORs 8.1-85.1).
• Combined predictors achieved 95% specificity and 91% positive predictive value, with an AUC of 0.92.

Conclusions:

• Combining abdominal radiography findings with clinical symptoms significantly enhances diagnostic accuracy for intussusception.
• This integrated approach offers a practical and effective strategy for primary screening in children.
• The study supports the utility of this combined method in clinical practice for improved pediatric intussusception diagnosis.