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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of patients with abdominal pain at the ED

From: Patient factors influencing the effect of surgeon-performed ultrasound on the acute abdomen

Characteristics

Ultrasound (n = 392)

Non-ultrasound (n = 391)

Mean

SD

n

%

Mean

SD

n

%

Age

47

20

  

48

19

  

Height

172

9

  

172

10

  

Weight

73

16

  

73

16

  

BMI (body mass index)

24.8

4.5

  

24.8

4.3

  

Gender

 Male

  

160

40.8

  

171

43.7

 Female

  

232

59.2

  

220

56.3

Abdominal related comorbidity

  

76

19.4

  

78

19.9

Comorbidity related to heart or diabetes

  

66

16.8

  

74

18.9

History of abdominal malignancy

  

6

1.5

  

12

3.1

History of other malignancy

  

11

2.8

  

14

3.6

Other comorbidity

  

132

33.7

  

123

31.5

Admission for abdominal pain within 1 year

  

124

32.0

  

137

35.3

Referral for admission

  

92

24.4

  

126

32.9

Duration of pain

 0–8 h

  

44

14.8

  

43

14.4

 8–24 h

  

99

33.2

  

97

32.4

 >24 h

  

147

49.3

  

151

50.5

 Cannot answer

  

8

2.7

  

8

2.7

Affected general condition

  

90

23.3

  

74

19.1

Tenderness

  

338

86.4

  

347

89.2

Rigidity

  

51

13.1

  

49

12.6

Palpable mass

  

23

5.9

  

29

7.5

Actual VAS (of pain)a

4.3

2.8

  

4.4

2.6

  

Maximal anamnestic VAS (of pain)a

7.6

2.6

  

7.6

1.8

  

Temperature

37.0

0.8

  

37.0

0.7

  
  1. aVAS (of pain) = Visual Analogue Scale (scale 0–10, 0 represents no pain at all, 10 represents unbearable pain)