In what is being described as an "unexpected finding," new research suggests no correlation between a patient's race and complications with acute appendicitis.

A 5-year-old with abdominal pain, nausea and fever may have appendicitis or any of a number of other problems. But how does the child’s doctor decide whether to schedule an emergency appendectomy to surgically remove a presumably inflamed appendix — a procedure that carries its own risks like any surgery — or wait and observe what could be a ticking time bomb that could rupture and kill the patient in a matter of hours?

It can be difficult to assess whether a patient is experiencing acute appendicitis or has an intestinal upset. CT, or computed tomography, scans can help determine if the patient needs to have his or her appendix removed. However, while having a clear picture showing the appendix confirms patient and physician suspicions, the time required to conduct the scan delays time to a potential operation, with the risk that the appendix could perforate while the patient awaits the test results.