Table 1 Key questions and key words used to develop the Consensus Conference on Acute Appendicitis (AA)

1. Diagnostic efficiency of clinical scoring systems

Diagnostic efficiency of clinical scoring systems and their role in the management of patients with suspected appendicitis - can they be used as basis for a structured management?

Derivation OR clinical OR predict OR decision

AND rule OR algorithm OR tool OR model OR score OR indicator OR validation OR criteria

AND appendicitis

2. Role of imaging

Routine vs selective imaging? CT or US or both? In what order?

Diagnosis OR imaging

AND selective OR routine

AND ultrasound OR computed AND tomography OR US OR CT OR MRI

AND adult OR child OR pregnant

AND appendicitis

3. Non-operative treatment for uncomplicated appendicitis.

What is the natural history of appendicitis? Can appendicitis resolve without treatment? How common is it?

Uncomplicated

AND appendicitis

AND pathogenesis OR antibiotics

OR nonoperative OR conservative OR spontaneous AND resolution or self-limiting

AND treatment OR management

4. Timing of appendectomy and in-hospital delay

Does in-hospital delay increasethe rate of complication or perforation? Is it safe to delay appendectomy? Timing of appendectomy

Appendectomy

AND delay OR perforation OR complication OR indicator OR criteria

AND appendicitis

5. Surgical treatment

-open or laparoscopic?

-lavage or aspiration of pus?

-drains?

-ligation or invagination of the stump?

-primary or secondary closure of the wound?

Surgery OR operative OR laparoscopy OR open OR treatment OR management

AND elder OR comorbidities OR obese OR child OR pregnant

AND complicated OR perforated OR abscess

AND lavage OR aspiration OR suction OR drain OR mesoappendix OR sealing OR monopolar OR bipolar OR staple OR endoloop OR stump OR invagination OR ligation

AND appendicitis

6. Scoring systems for intra-operative grading of appendicitis and their clinical usefulness

What are the histopathological criteria for appendicitis of clinical importance? Minor inflammatory changes, early appendicitis, catarrhal appendicitis. The criteria used will have an influence on the proportion of negative appendectomy, and also on evaluation of diagnostic performance.

intra-operative AND grade OR score OR indicator OR criteria

AND histopathology OR macroscopic AND diagnosis

OR surgeon AND experience

AND appendicitis

7. Non-surgical treatment of complicated appendicitis: abscess or phlegmone

Role of percutaneous drainage and Interval Appendectomy or immediate surgery.

Abscess OR phlegmon

AND drain OR percutaneous OR interval AND appendectomy

AND conservative OR nonsurgical AND treatment OR management

AND complicated AND appendicitis

8. Preoperative and Postoperative Antibiotics

Should Preoperative antibiotics prophylaxis be given? What antibiotics? When should postoperative antibiotics be given? What antibiotics? Duration?

Antibiotic OR antimicrobial OR infection OR prophylaxis OR therapy OR treatment

AND appendectomy OR surgery

AND time OR day OR range OR duration

AND complicated OR uncomplicated

AND intravenous OR oral

AND appendicitis