Abstract
Background: Acute appendicitis(AA) is the most frequent cause of acute abdomen among pathologies and diagnosis can be difficult in pediatric patients. Our purpose was to examine the initially checked hemogram parameters and C-Reactive protein (CRP) of patients operated with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children and to find out the significance of these in diagnosis.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in a tertiary pediatric hospital. Patients younger than 18 years of age diagnosed with acute abdomen diagnosis between May 2017 and December 2018 were included in the study. Patients’hemogram parameters and CRP at the time of diagnosis and their post-surgery pathology results were examined retrospectively. The patients were grouped in two as those who were operated with a diagnosis of AA (GroupA) and those who had abdominal pain but who were clinically followed without operation (Group B).
Results: 103 patients diagnosed with acute abdomen younger than 18 years of age were included in our study.71.8% of the patients were male, while 28.2% were female. The average age of the patients was 9.74±3.36 years.24 of the patients had suspicious laboratory and radiological examinations (USGorCT) with abdominal pain were clinically followed and discharged without operation.79 patients were operated and AA symptoms were found in surgical pathology results. In the comparison of hemogram parameters of patients in Group A and Group B, a statistically significant difference was found between WBC, neutrophil count, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR), platelet/ lymphocyte ratio(PLR) and CRP, p<0.05.
Conclusion: WBC, neutrophil count, NLR, PNR, and CRP values, which are examined in complete blood count, are easily accessible and quickly assessable methods that can be used in the diagnosis of AA patients.

Key words: Abdominal pain, acute appendicitis, pediatric