Validation and Comparison of Pediatric Appendicitis Scores and Management Strategies (Project SPASMS): Protocol for a Prospective Multicenter Observational Study

Wei Hao Lee   ^{1, 2} , MBBS, DCH, Grad Cert, MSc, MGH/MPH(ext) ;   Sharon O'Brien   ^{2, 3, 4} , BN, PhD ;   Elizabeth J Mckinnon   ⁵ , PhD ;   Simon Craig   ^{6, 7} , MBBS, MPHE, MPH, PhD ;   Stuart Dalziel   ^{8, 9} , MBChB, PhD ;   Michael Collin   ¹⁰ , MBBS ;   Natalie Phillips   ^{11, 12} , MBBS, MPhil ;   Franz E Babl   ^{13, 14, 15} , MD, MPH, DMedSc ;   Sarah Julia Davidson   ¹⁶ , MBBS ;   Shane George   ^{17, 18, 19} , BSc, MBBS, MPH ;   Shefali Jani   ^{20, 21} , MBBS, MD, MClinEpid ;   Doris Tham   ^{14, 15, 22} , MBBS ;   Viet Tran   ^{23, 24} , BMedSci, MBBS ;   Meredith L Borland   ^{1, 2, 3} , MBBS

¹ Division of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia

² Emergency Department, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Australia

³ Division of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia

⁴ Institute for Paediatric Perioperative Excellence, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

⁵ Biostatistics, The Kids Research Institute Australia, Nedlands, Australia

⁶ Paediatric Emergency Department, Monash Medical Centre, Monash Health, Clayton, Australia

⁷ Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia

⁸ Emergency Department, Starship Children's Health, Auckland, New Zealand

⁹ Department of Surgery and Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

¹⁰ Department of Surgery, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Australia

¹¹ Emergency Department, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia

¹² Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, South Brisbane, Australia

¹³ Departments of Paediatrics and Critical Care, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia

¹⁴ Emergency Department, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia

¹⁵ Emergency Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Australia

¹⁶ Emergency Department, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Sunshine Coast, Australia

¹⁷ Children's Emergency and Critical Care Collaborative Research Group, Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, Australia

¹⁸ Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia

¹⁹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

²⁰ Department of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia

²¹ Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

²² Sunshine Paediatric Emergency Department, Western Health, Melbourne, Australia

²³ Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmanian Health Service, Hobart, Australia

²⁴ Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia