New belly pain test could save kids from unnecessary hospital trips
NCT ID NCT06762275
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 4 times
Summary
This study tests whether a simple checklist plus a finger-prick blood test can help family doctors decide which children with belly pain need to go to the hospital for possible appendicitis. About 566 children aged 4 to 18 will take part. If it works, fewer kids without appendicitis will be sent to the hospital, while still catching those who really need care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Clinical prediction rule and C-reactive protein point-of-care test
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could give GPs a simple, reliable tool to reduce unnecessary hospital referrals for children with belly pain while still catching appendicitis cases early.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small trial in one country, and the strategy may not work as well in other settings. The test is not a perfect diagnostic tool, so some cases could still be missed.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 566 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Mar 2025
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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4 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria: \- Children aged 4 to 18 years with acute abdominal pain (onset ≤ 7 days) who present at the GP. Exclusion criteria: * A history of appendectomy * Current pregnancy * Traumatic cause of abdominal pain
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University Medical Center Groningen
RECRUITINGGroningen, Provincie Groningen, 9700AD, Netherlands
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Two simple tweaks may cut pain after appendix surgery
- Can less dye and less radiation still spot appendicitis?
- A new lens on children's surgery: can video grading predict recovery?
- To cut or not to cut: a trial questions routine appendectomy for normal appendices
- Simple pressure check may spare kids from post-surgery sore throat
- New blood test could spot hidden belly infections faster