5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels distinguish perforated from nonperforated appendicitis
5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels in urine significantly differed between patients with perforated and non-perforated appendicitis, indicating its potential as a diagnostic biomarker. Specifically, 5-HIAA was higher in the perforated group (0.5 mg/dl) compared to the non-perforated group (0.3 mg/dl), and the study reported a diagnostic accuracy of 88%, with sensitivity at 82%. These findings suggest that measuring 5-HIAA may enhance the timely diagnosis of acute appendicitis complications.
Patients who needed emergency general surgery within 60 days of a pulmonary embolism had more major complications than those operated on later, in a national database study.
Among 3,785 patients who had emergency general surgery after acute pulmonary embolism, those operated on at least 60 days later had markedly fewer major adverse events (adjusted OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.37–0.55).
Appendix, Gallbladder and Surgical Emergencies3 Nov 2026
