BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical condition presented in emergency departments worldwide. Clinical scoring systems, such as the Alvarado and modified Alvarado scoring systems, were developed with the goal of reducing the negative appendectomy rate to 5%-10%. The Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Appendicitis (RIPASA) scoring system was established in 2008 specifi cally for Asian populations. The aim of this study was to compare the modifi ed Alvarado with the RIPASA scoring system in Kuwait population. METHODS:This study included 180 patients who underwent appendectomies and were documented as having "acute appendicitis" or "abdominal pain" in the operating theatre logbook (unit B) from November 2014 to March 2016. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), diagnostic accuracy, predicted negative appendectomy and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the modified Alvarado and RIPASA scoring systems were derived using SPSS statistical software. RESULTS:A total of 136 patients were included in this study according to our criteria. The cut-off threshold point of the modifi ed Alvarado score was set at 7.0, which yielded a sensitivity of 82.8% and a specifi city of 56%. The PPV was 89.3% and the NPV was 42.4%. The cut-off threshold point of the RIPASA score was set at 7.5, which yielded a 94.5% sensitivity and an 88% specifi city. The PPV was 97.2% and the NPV was 78.5%. The predicted negative appendectomy rates were 10.7% and 2.2% for the modifi ed Alvarado and RIPASA scoring systems, respectively. The negative appendectomy rate decreased signifi cantly, from 18.4% to 10.7% for the modifi ed Alvarado, and to 2.2% for the RIPASA scoring system, which was a signifi cant difference (P<0.001) for both scoring systems.CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, the RIPASA score is a simple scoring system with better sensitivity and specifi city than the modifi ed Alvarado scoring system in Asian populations. It consists of 14 clinical parameters that can be obtained from a good patient history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations. The RIPASA scoring system is more accurate and specific than the modifi ed Alvarado scoring system for Kuwait population.

Acute appendicitis is the most common surgical condition with which patients present in emergency departments worldwide. It is also a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. Here, we report a case of a 53-year-old man who presented with a clinical picture of mechanical small bowel obstruction. Leucocytosis was not demonstrated on the routine blood investigation in our case, in contrast to the findings for most patients with acute appendicitis. Acute appendicitis, as the cause of the intestinal obstruction, was diagnosed by computed tomography of the abdomen. The patient was treated using diagnostic laparoscopy and laparoscopic appendectomy. This case was compared with those previously reported in the medical literature to determine the frequency of the case and the surgical management.

Acute appendicitis and acute cholecystitis are some of the most common surgical emergencies in the emergency department. Both conditions are common causes of abdominal pain. We had a discussion about co-existing acute appendicitis and cholecystitis and if it is a myth. The concurrent presentation of acute appendicitis and cholecystitis is thought to be rare. A PubMed search of MEDLINE was performed using a combination of the keywords “acute appendicitis” and “acute cholecystitis” to obtain case reports. The search returned 11 case reports of co-existent acute appendicitis and acute cholecystitis. The aim of this review is to broaden the prospective of emergency physicians to consider more than one pathology as the cause of abdominal pain. The concurrent presentation of acute appendicitis and cholecystitis is rare but should be considered to avoid complications such as perforation and septicemia.

Artificial intelligence (AI) pertains to the ability of computers or computercontrolled machines to perform activities that demand the cognitive function and performance level of the human brain. The use of AI in medicine and health care is growing rapidly, significantly impacting areas such as medical diagnostics, drug development, treatment personalization, supportive health services, genomics, and public health management. AI offers several advantages; however, its rampant rise in health care also raises concerns regarding legal liability, ethics, and data privacy. Technological singularity (TS) is a hypothetical future point in time when AI will surpass human intelligence. If it occurs, TS in health care would imply the replacement of human medical practitioners with AIguided robots and peripheral systems. Considering the pace at which technological advances are taking place in the arena of AI, and the pace at which AI is being integrated with health care systems, it is not be unreasonable to believe that TS in health care might occur in the near future and that AI-enabled services will profoundly augment the capabilities of doctors, if not completely replace them. There is a need to understand the associated challenges so that we may better prepare the health care system and society to embrace such a change-if it happens.

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Ileosigmoid knotting, also known as compound volvulus or double volvulus, is a rare surgical emergency causing intestinal obstruction. Principally, it is a closed-loop intestinal obstruction that involves the sigmoid and ileum. It is considered a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. Differentiation of ileosigmoid knot from simple sigmoid volvulus is important because endoscopic decompression in ileosigmoid knot might be hazardous and even fatal. Endoscopic decompression of ileosigmoid knot may lead to perforation or injury. The mortality rate of ileosigmoid knot in general may reach 48%. We present a case of a 30year-old male patient who presented with ileosigmoid knot at our emergency room. The aim of reporting this case is to increase understanding of the condition to promote earlier diagnosis.

Lower cranial nerve palsies in various combinations involving the hypoglossal, glossopharyngeal, vagal, and the accessory nerves occur in internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection.

Several studies have reported elevated serum bilirubin or reduced serum sodium levels in patients with complicated appendicitis (CA). This study examined the efficacy of hyperbilirubinemia, hyponatremia, and both combined in the preoperative diagnosis of CA. Patients who underwent surgery for acute appendicitis were included in this retrospective review. In total, 247 patients were included in the final analysis. Of these, 36 (14.2%) had early appendicitis, 177 (72.0%) had acute suppurative appendicitis, 32 (13.0%) had necrotizing/gangrenous acute appendicitis, and 2 (0.8%) had other types of appendicitis. The mean total bilirubin (TBIL) level was significantly higher in patients with CA than in those with uncomplicated appendicitis. Conversely, the mean serum sodium level was significantly lower in patients with CA than in those with uncomplicated appendicitis. The levels of TBIL (odds ratio: 1.098, 95% CI: 1.052–1.147) and serum sodium (odds ratio: 0.743, 95% CI: 0.646–0.855) were associated with CA. Hyponatremia combined with hyperbilirubinemia yielded significant discriminatory value for the diagnosis of CA. TBIL and serum sodium levels can be considered as adjuvant parameters in the diagnosis of perforated/necrotizing appendicitis. Although hyperbilirubinemia and hyponatremia together were better able to determine the risk of CA than either marker alone, other markers are required to definitively predict CA. Furthermore, large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.