Trial Outcomes & Findings for Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis: Low-dose Computed Tomography (CT) Versus Standard-dose CT (NCT NCT00913380)

NCT ID: NCT00913380

Last Updated: 2011-09-12

Results Overview

Number of participants with unnecessary appendectomies (removal of un-inflamed appendix)

Recruitment status

COMPLETED

Study phase

PHASE3

Target enrollment

891 participants

Primary outcome timeframe

1 week after surgery

Results posted on

2011-09-12

Participant Flow

Dates of the recruitment period: September 2009 to January 2011 Types of location: an emergency department in an urban tertiary hospital in Korea

None of the enrolled participants were excluded from the trial before assignment to group.

Participant milestones

Participant milestones
Measure
Low-dose CT
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
CT Examination
STARTED
444
447
CT Examination
COMPLETED
444
447
CT Examination
NOT COMPLETED
0
0
Clinical Outcomes
STARTED
444
447
Clinical Outcomes
COMPLETED
438
441
Clinical Outcomes
NOT COMPLETED
6
6

Reasons for withdrawal

Reasons for withdrawal
Measure
Low-dose CT
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Clinical Outcomes
Lost to Follow-up
6
6

Baseline Characteristics

Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis: Low-dose Computed Tomography (CT) Versus Standard-dose CT

Baseline characteristics by cohort

Baseline characteristics by cohort
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=444 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=447 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Total
n=891 Participants
Total of all reporting groups
Age Continuous
Age (year)
29 year
n=5 Participants
30 year
n=7 Participants
30 year
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
276 Participants
n=5 Participants
263 Participants
n=7 Participants
539 Participants
n=5 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
168 Participants
n=5 Participants
184 Participants
n=7 Participants
352 Participants
n=5 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Korean
441 participants
n=5 Participants
445 participants
n=7 Participants
886 participants
n=5 Participants
Race/Ethnicity, Customized
Non-Korean
3 participants
n=5 Participants
2 participants
n=7 Participants
5 participants
n=5 Participants
Body mass index
< 18.5 (underweight)
62 kg/m^2
n=5 Participants
60 kg/m^2
n=7 Participants
122 kg/m^2
n=5 Participants
Body mass index
18.5-24.9 (normal)
312 kg/m^2
n=5 Participants
301 kg/m^2
n=7 Participants
613 kg/m^2
n=5 Participants
Body mass index
≥ 25.0 (overweight to extremely obese)
70 kg/m^2
n=5 Participants
86 kg/m^2
n=7 Participants
156 kg/m^2
n=5 Participants
White blood cell
10.7 x10^3/mm^3
n=5 Participants
10.8 x10^3/mm^3
n=7 Participants
10.8 x10^3/mm^3
n=5 Participants
Segmented neutrophil
77.0 Percentage of peripheral Leukocytes
n=5 Participants
77.3 Percentage of peripheral Leukocytes
n=7 Participants
77.3 Percentage of peripheral Leukocytes
n=5 Participants
C-reactive protein
0.5 mg/dL
n=5 Participants
0.7 mg/dL
n=7 Participants
0.6 mg/dL
n=5 Participants
CT scanner
16-detector CT
177 participants
n=5 Participants
191 participants
n=7 Participants
368 participants
n=5 Participants
CT scanner
64-detector CT
154 participants
n=5 Participants
144 participants
n=7 Participants
298 participants
n=5 Participants
CT scanner
256-detector CT
113 participants
n=5 Participants
112 participants
n=7 Participants
225 participants
n=5 Participants
Radiologist
Abdominal radiologist
217 participants
n=5 Participants
225 participants
n=7 Participants
442 participants
n=5 Participants
Radiologist
Non-abdominal radiologist
227 participants
n=5 Participants
222 participants
n=7 Participants
449 participants
n=5 Participants

PRIMARY outcome

Timeframe: 1 week after surgery

Population: Participants who underwent non-incidental appendectomy. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis.

Number of participants with unnecessary appendectomies (removal of un-inflamed appendix)

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=172 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=186 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Negative Appendectomy
Negative appendectomy
6 participants
6 participants
Negative Appendectomy
Not negative appendectomy
166 participants
180 participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 1 week after CT

Population: All participants included in outcome analyses. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis.

Number of participants who need additional imaging test(s) to diagnose or rule out appendicitis

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=438 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=441 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Additional Imaging Test(s)
Additional imaging
14 participants
7 participants
Additional Imaging Test(s)
No additional imaging
424 participants
434 participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 1 week after surgery

Population: Participants confirmed to have appendicitis. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis.

Number of participants with appendiceal perforation

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=166 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=180 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Appendiceal Perforation
Perforation
44 participants
42 participants
Appendiceal Perforation
No perforation
122 participants
138 participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 1 day after surgery

Population: Participants who underwent non-incidental appendectomy. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis.

Time interval between the CT acquisition and non-incidental appendectomy

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=172 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=186 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Interval Between CT and Appendectomy
7.1 hr
Interval 4.3 to 11.7
5.6 hr
Interval 3.4 to 9.2

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months after CT

Population: Participants who did not undergo surgery. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis.

Time interval between the CT acquisition and discharge without surgery

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=249 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=246 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Interval Between CT and Discharge Without Surgery
2.5 hr
Interval 1.5 to 4.2
2.4 hr
Interval 1.4 to 4.4

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months after CT

Population: Participants who underwent non-incidental appendectomy. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis.

Time interval between the CT acquisition and discharge after appendectomy

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=172 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=186 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Interval From CT to Discharge After Appendectomy
3.4 day
Interval 2.7 to 4.1
3.2 day
Interval 2.5 to 4.1

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months after CT

Population: Participants confirmed to have appendicitis. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis. There can be missing data if CT report was not made following predefined structured format.

Grade 1. Definitely absent. Clinical observation is recommended. Grade 2. Probably absent. Clinical observation is recommended. Grade 3. Indeterminate. Clinical observation or surgical exploration is recommended. Grade 4. Probably present. Surgical exploration is recommended. Grade 5. Definitely present. Surgical exploration is recommended. The data is used to calculate sensitivity, specificity, area under receiver-operating-curve and to measure diagnostic confidence.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=166 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=180 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Having Appendicitis
Grade 1
2 participants
4 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Having Appendicitis
Grade 2
7 participants
5 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Having Appendicitis
Grade 3
13 participants
11 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Having Appendicitis
Grade 4
53 participants
34 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Having Appendicitis
Grade 5
90 participants
126 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Having Appendicitis
Missing
1 participants
0 participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months after CT

Population: Participants confirmed not to have appendicitis. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis. There can be missing data if CT report was not made following predefined structured format.

Grade 1. Definitely absent. Clinical observation is recommended. Grade 2. Probably absent. Clinical observation is recommended. Grade 3. Indeterminate. Clinical observation or surgical exploration is recommended. Grade 4. Probably present. Surgical exploration is recommended. Grade 5. Definitely present. Surgical exploration is recommended. The data are used to calculate sensitivity, specificity, area under receiver-operating-curve and to measure diagnostic confidence.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=272 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=261 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Not Having Appendicitis
Grade 2
65 participants
38 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Not Having Appendicitis
Grade 1
185 participants
206 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Not Having Appendicitis
Grade 3
11 participants
11 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Not Having Appendicitis
Grade 4
3 participants
3 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Not Having Appendicitis
Grade 5
4 participants
2 participants
Likelihood of Appendicitis in CT Report in Patients Confirmed as Not Having Appendicitis
Missing
4 participants
1 participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months after CT

Population: Participants confirmed to have appendicitis. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis. There can be missing data if CT report was not made following predefined structured format.

True positive: Perforation was rated as present in CT report and confirmed as present. False positive: Perforation was rated as present in CT report and confirmed as absent. True negative: Perforation was rated as absent in CT report and confirmed as absent. False negative: Perforation was rated as absent in CT report and confirmed as present. The data are used to calculate sensitivity and specificity.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=166 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=180 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Diagnosis of Appendiceal Perforation in CT in Patients With Confirmed Appendicitis.
True positive
16 participants
23 participants
Diagnosis of Appendiceal Perforation in CT in Patients With Confirmed Appendicitis.
False positive
11 participants
17 participants
Diagnosis of Appendiceal Perforation in CT in Patients With Confirmed Appendicitis.
True negative
110 participants
121 participants
Diagnosis of Appendiceal Perforation in CT in Patients With Confirmed Appendicitis.
False negative
28 participants
19 participants
Diagnosis of Appendiceal Perforation in CT in Patients With Confirmed Appendicitis.
Missing
1 participants
0 participants

SECONDARY outcome

Timeframe: 3 months after CT

Population: Participants confirmed not to have appendicitis. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis. There can be missing data if CT report was not made following predefined structured format.

Grade 0. Not identified Grade 1. Unsure or partly visualized Grade 2. Clearly and entirely visualized

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=272 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=261 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Visualization of the Normal Appendix
Grade 0
18 participants
13 participants
Visualization of the Normal Appendix
Grade 1
41 participants
20 participants
Visualization of the Normal Appendix
Grade 2
209 participants
227 participants
Visualization of the Normal Appendix
Missing
4 participants
1 participants

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: 1 day after CT

Population: All participants who underwent CT. Intention to treat. Complete case analysis.

Radiation dose is measured in terms of dose-length product (mGy•cm) as displayed in the CT console. The "length" indicates the scan range.

Outcome measures

Outcome measures
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=444 Participants
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=447 Participants
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Radiation Dose
116 mGy•cm
Interval 94.0 to 124.0
521 mGy•cm
Interval 448.0 to 564.0

OTHER_PRE_SPECIFIED outcome

Timeframe: 1 day after CT

Age- and sex-specific carcinogenic risk induced by CT radiation. This is not an actual measurement but an estimate of the stochastic risk, based on assumption and calculation from radiation dose used.

Outcome measures

Outcome data not reported

Adverse Events

Low-dose CT

Serious events: 13 serious events
Other events: 1 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Standard-dose CT

Serious events: 11 serious events
Other events: 1 other events
Deaths: 0 deaths

Serious adverse events

Serious adverse events
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=444 participants at risk
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=447 participants at risk
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Gastrointestinal disorders
Abdominal pain
1.4%
6/444 • Number of events 6 • 3 months
1.3%
6/447 • Number of events 6 • 3 months
Gastrointestinal disorders
Ileus
0.90%
4/444 • Number of events 4 • 3 months
0.89%
4/447 • Number of events 4 • 3 months
Injury, poisoning and procedural complications
Wound complication
0.68%
3/444 • Number of events 3 • 3 months
0.00%
0/447 • 3 months
General disorders
Fever
0.00%
0/444 • 3 months
0.22%
1/447 • Number of events 1 • 3 months

Other adverse events

Other adverse events
Measure
Low-dose CT
n=444 participants at risk
Aimed to 2 mSv in an average patient
Standard-dose CT
n=447 participants at risk
Aimed to 8 mSv in an average patient
Gastrointestinal disorders
Abdominal pain
0.23%
1/444 • Number of events 1 • 3 months
0.22%
1/447 • Number of events 1 • 3 months

Additional Information

Kyoung Ho Lee

Seoul National University Bundang Hospital

Phone: 82-31-787-7607

Results disclosure agreements

  • Principal investigator is a sponsor employee
  • Publication restrictions are in place