Which Diagnostic Pathway is Most Effective in Suspected Acute Appendicitis?

Combining clinical score and ultrasound outperformed CT scan or upfront surgery in diagnosing acute appendicitis, especially in equivocal cases. The study included 3,123 patients, with the best balance of sensitivity and specificity seen in the clinical evaluation + score + ultrasound group. Ultrasound was significantly associated with an increased probability of correctly diagnosing appendicitis, particularly in cases where the clinical score was unclear. This approach could be particularly beneficial in low-resource settings worldwide.