Validation and Comparison of Pediatric Appendicitis Scores and Management Strategies (Project SPASMS): Protocol for a Prospective Multicenter Observational Study

Abdominal pain is a common reason for children to attend the Emergency Department (ED) with acute appendicitis being the most common surgical cause. Various clinical prediction scores (CPSs) have been developed to assist in determining the risk of appendicitis; however, CPSs have been inadequately validated in children and haphazardly adopted in Australia and New Zealand EDs.

Citation:
Lee WH, O'Brien S, McKinnon EJ, Craig S, et al. Validation and Comparison of Pediatric Appendicitis Scores and Management Strategies (Project SPASMS): Protocol for a Prospective Multicenter Observational Study. JMIR Research Protocols. 2025;14.

Keywords:
Abdominal pain; appendicitis; clinical prediction scores; emergency medicine; pediatric

Abstract:
Abdominal pain is a common reason for children to attend the Emergency Department (ED) with acute appendicitis being the most common surgical cause. Various clinical prediction scores (CPSs) have been developed to assist in determining the risk of appendicitis; however, CPSs have been inadequately validated in children and haphazardly adopted in Australia and New Zealand EDs.