A Case-control Study on the Correlation between Serum Bilirubin Levels and Various Types of Appendicitis

Background Acute appendicitis is one of the most common types of surgical emergencies. Among laboratory factors, hyperbilirubinemia has recently been identified as a strong predictor of preoperative perforation and gangrene. Aim This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum bilirubin levels and types of appendicitis. Methods This case-control study was conducted in 2022 using the convenience sampling method on 100 patients who were referred to the emergency department of Imam Khomeini Hospital in Jiroft with abdominal pain. These patients were diagnosed with appendicitis based on the initial clinical examinations. The white blood cells and total bilirubin levels were measured for all the patients. Intraoperative macroscopic findings were recorded by the surgeon, and the pathological results of the specimen were reported. Data was analyzed using SPSS 24, including descriptive and inferential statistics at the significance level of P<0.05. Results Among 100 patients aged between 28.5±14.8, 48% were men, and the rest were women. There was a significant difference between the mean of bilirubin levels in patients with complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis (P <0.01). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the period of onset of symptoms to hospitalization, leukocytosis level, and preoperative total bilirubin level were significant variables for diagnosing complicated appendicitis (P<0.05). Conclusion In this study, we found that patients with complicated appendicitis had higher total bilirubin levels than patients with uncomplicated appendicitis. Therefore, patients with hyperbilirubinemia and clinical symptoms of appendicitis should be considered as more probable cases of perforation than those with normal bilirubin levels.