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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Surgery
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2024.1464193

Non-linear association between C-reactive protein levels and length of stay in pediatric appendicitis patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy

Provisionally accepted
Ming Liu Ming Liu Ping Yang Ping Yang *Yunpeng Gou Yunpeng Gou *
  • Suining Central Hospital, Suining, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: To examine the correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels at hospital admission and the length of stay (LOS) in pediatric patients with appendicitis who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy. Methods: We retrospectively collected the clinical data from pediatric patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis and treated with laparoscopic appendectomy. Multivariate generalized linear regression analyses were performed to determine the independent relationship between CRP and LOS. Smooth curve fitting was constructed to examine the potential non-linear relationship between CRP and LOS. A segmented regression model was used to calculate threshold effects and determine the inflection point. Results: A total of 815 participants were included in the study. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the higher the CRP levels, the longer the LOS. Fully adjusted smooth curve fitting suggested a non-linear relationship between CRP and LOS. A segmented regression showed that the inflection point value of CRP was 34.13 mg/L. A 1 mg/L increase in CRP levels was significantly associated with a 0.013-day increase in length of stay (95% CI: 0.009, 0.018; P <0.001) when CRP levels > 34.13 mg/L. However, there was no significant association between CRP and LOS when CRP levels < 34.13 mg/L (P > 0.05). Conclusion There was a non-linear association and threshold effect between CRP levels and LOS. CRP levels above 34.13 mg/L were associated with longer LOS in pediatric appendicitis patients. These findings contribute to the understanding of inflammatory markers in recovery dynamics and underscore the necessity for further research to investigate their potential clinical implications.

    Keywords: C-Reactive Protein, Length of Stay, Appendicitis, Laparoscopic appendectomy, Children

    Received: 13 Jul 2024; Accepted: 29 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, Yang and Gou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Ping Yang, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, China
    Yunpeng Gou, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.