Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37907760›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2023

Non-operative treatment for simple acute appendicitis (NOTA) in children during the COVID-19 era: new lessons from the pandemic.

Ameen Alsaggaf, Yazeed Owiwi, Mohamed Shalaby, Alaa Ghallab, Mazen Zidan, Ahmed Alawi, Nasir Bustangi, Mohammed Awad, Abdulelah Bana, Saad Al Zeair and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Ameen AlsaggafPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Yazeed OwiwiPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mohamed ShalabyPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. mohamedmshalaby@gmail.com.
Alaa GhallabPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mazen ZidanPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed AlawiPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Nasir BustangiDivision of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mohammed AwadPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulelah BanaRadiology Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Saad Al ZeairRadiology Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed AfandiSurgical Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed BasyouniSurgical Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ibrahim Al NasserRadiology Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Enas RamlPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Enaam RaboeiPediatric Surgery Department, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Coronavirus (COVID-19) was a pandemic disease that was affecting our medical and surgical daily practice badly. The surgical management of acute appendicitis was the gold standard, but new studies suggest the safety of antibiotic treatment alone. Non-operative treatment for simple acute appendicitis (NOTA) avoids surgery, the risks of general anesthesia, and long hospital stays. It also decreases the risk of exposure to coronavirus. We aimed to study the cost-effectiveness and outcome of NOTA during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared it to single-incision pediatric endo-surgery appendectomy (SIPESA). A prospective cohort study for NOTA of patients from 6 to 12 years old in the COVID-19 pandemic period from April 1st, 2020, to April 30th, 2021, patients were divided into two groups: Group S was managed by SIPESA, and Group N was managed by NOTA. Family education and assurance with detailed explanation were done for early detection of any complications, and we continue monitoring the patients until their complete recovery. Group S had 24 cases (40%), mean age 9.3 years. Group N had 36 cases (60%), mean age 9.1 years. Six cases (17%) in group N were converted to surgical management in the first 6 months of the study. The mean cost dropped from $2736/day to $400/day. The mean psychological stress for the children improved from 4.4 in April to 2 in September. The mean follow-up was 3.5 months. NOTA is a feasible, cost-effective approach, and we recommend it, as we have learned this lesson during the COVID-19 pandemic days.

Indexed as

AppendicitisCOVID-19Acute DiseaseChildHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-RingHumansPandemicsProspective StudiesRetrospective Studies1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N',N''-triacetic acidHeterocyclic Compounds, 1-Ring

Identifiers

PMID37907760
PMCPMC10618159

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.