# Utility of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Appendicitis Severity Grade in Predicting Prognosis in Children

## TL;DR

This study shows that the AAST appendicitis severity grade can predict complications and hospital stay in children.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the utility of the AAST grading system in predicting prognosis in pediatric acute appendicitis.

## Key findings

- Higher AAST grades correlate with increased complications and longer hospital stays in children.
- AAST operative grades III-V are risk factors for prolonged length of stay.
- CT, operative, and pathologic grades are significantly correlated with each other.

## Abstract

Introduction: The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) proposed a grade classification (I (mild) to V (severe)) to predict the risks and outcomes of acute appendicitis. However, its utility in children remains unknown. We investigated the relationship between the AAST grade and disease severity in children.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 93 patients aged ≤16 years who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis between 2012 and 2020. The AAST computed tomography (CT), operative, and pathologic grades were analyzed. We collected data for demographics, length of stay (LOS), and complications. Trend tests were performed to compare the AAST grade and outcomes. Bland-Altman plots were used to evaluate the correlation between grades. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the factors related to LOS.

Results: AAST grades included CT (n=55), operative (n=93), and pathologic (n=93) grades. The number of complications and LOS increased significantly with the increase of every three-grade. Bland-Altman plots revealed that each of the three-grade correlated with each other. Multiple regression analysis identified AAST operative grades III-V as risk factors for prolonged LOS.

Conclusion: Higher CT, operative, and pathologic grades were found to be significantly associated with an increased number of complications and prolonged LOS in pediatric patients. We further concluded that the AAST grading system could be useful in predicting the prognosis of acute appendicitis in children.