Pitfalls
- A positive urinalysis does not rule out appendicitis as 30-40% of patients will have abnormal urinalysis
- Failure to perform a pregnancy test (urinary or blood) in female patients with abdominal pain can lead to failure to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy with serious consequences
- An over-reliance on normal blood tests can result in the diagnosis of appendicitis being missed (1 in 10 patients with appendicitis will have normal inflammatory markers)
- Remember that pregnant patients still get appendicitis and may have atypical findings
- Atypical presentations and late diagnoses are common in the elderly and children