Appendicitis Inflammatory Response (AIR) score is a scoring system developed to assist in diagnosis of acute appendicitis based on clinical and laboratory findings 1.
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Criteria
vomiting (+1 point)
right iliac fossa tenderness (+1 point)
-
rebound tenderness
light (+1 point), or
medium (+2 points), or
strong (+3 points)
fever (body temperature ≥ 38.5°C or 101.3°F) (+1 point)
-
polymorphonuclear leukocytes
70-84% (+1 point), or
≥85% (+2 points)
-
total leukocyte count
10.0-14.9 × 109/L (+1 point), or
≥15.0 × 109/L (+2 points)
-
10-49 g/L (+1 point), or
≥50 g/L (+2 points)
Score total
0-4 points: low risk of appendicitis
5-8 points: intermediate risk of appendicitis
9-12 points: high risk of appendicitis
In many studies, the AIR score has been found to have better sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values than Alvarado score 3. Usually, there is no need for a CT scan in low-risk patients, and ultrasound can instead be used to exclude other causes of right iliac fossa pain 3.
History and etymology
AIR score was developed in 2008 to overcome some of the drawbacks of other scoring systems, such as Alvarado score 1,2.
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