Quantitative Research Critique
This is a critique on the article “Does Enteral Contrast Increase the Accuracy of Appendicitis Diagnosis?”, written by Latifi, A. et al in 2011. Appendicitis is the most common abdominal emergency and occurs most often between the ages of ten and twenty years old and more frequently in men (Rybkin, 2007). It was once thought that appendicitis was related to an obstruction of the appendix, therefore it was logical to use contrast enema and fluoroscopy to diagnose. Later on, contrast enema and oral contrast was continued in combination with computed tomography (CT) to diagnose appendicitis and this method has been continuously explored with published studies. After the development of high-resolution multidetector, researchers have suggested that the use of enteral contrast was unnecessary. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the multidetector CT for diagnosing appendicitis in relation to enteral contrast.
Protection of Human Participants
The participants in the study were all fifteen years or older. The local ethical committee approved the study. Informed consent was not needed because the study was retrospective and did not violate patient privacy in Sweden. There were no risks noted because of the study since the CT scan was a routine test that was done prior to the data being collected.
Data Management and Analysis
Two hundred and forty six examinations were retrospectively selected for this study that took place at Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden, during 2005-2006. The patients were divided into four groups based on the use of the enteral contrast agents. Group X consisted of patients examined without any contrast. Group O consisted of patients examined with oral contrast agents. Group R consisted of patients examined with contrast enema. Group B consisted of patients examined with both