JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
-
Clinical Trial
Ultrasonography and limited computed tomography in the diagnosis and management of appendicitis in children.
Limited computed tomography with rectal contrast (CTRC) has been shown to be 98% accurate in the diagnosis of appendicitis in the adult population, but data are lacking regarding the accuracy and effectiveness of this technique in diagnosing pediatric appendicitis. ⋯ These data show that CTRC following a negative or indeterminate ultrasonography result is highly accurate in the diagnosis of appendicitis in children.
-
Although it is widely recommended that clinical trials undergo some type of quality review, the number and variety of quality assessment scales that exist make it unclear how to achieve the best assessment. ⋯ Our data indicate that the use of summary scores to identify trials of high quality is problematic. Relevant methodological aspects should be assessed individually and their influence on effect sizes explored.