National Trends in Diagnostic Approaches for Pediatric Appendicitis: A

Appendectomies are one of the most common general surgical procedures performed in the pediatric population. Traditionally, a diagnosis of appendicitis in both children and adults is made by history taking and a physical examination. In general, it is more difficult to obtain a clear history and elicit specific physical examination findings in children of all ages compared to adults [1]. A clinical diagnosis of appendicitis is often difficult, and a delayed diagnosis may result in perforation of the inflamed appendix, peritonitis, or intra-abdominal abscess formation.