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Article: Boston Pediatric Researchers' Study Cites Needless Appendix Surgeries.
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
- Article date:
- January 5, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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By Scott Allen, The Boston Globe Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Jan. 5--Surgeons needlessly remove the appendixes of thousands of children who don't have appendicitis -- a problem most acute at hospitals that perform the operation infrequently -- according to a new study that raises difficult questions about improving pediatric care.
Overall, at least 8.4 percent of appendectomies -- one of the most common pediatric surgical procedures -- are performed on children who turn out to have a normal appendix, researchers at Children's Hospital in Boston found. That's largely because appendicitis can be difficult to diagnose, since the sharp ...