Pediatric Appendicitis Score Calculator

About this calculator

The Pediatric Appendicitis Score (PAS) is a clinical scoring system developed by Samuel in 2002 to help stratify a child's risk of acute appendicitis using eight simple, bedside findings — including migration of pain, anorexia, nausea/vomiting, right lower quadrant tenderness, cough/percussion/hopping tenderness, fever, leukocytosis, and left shift of neutrophils — for a total score out of 10 points.

Because appendicitis presents atypically in children more often than in adults, PAS gives a structured, more objective way to gauge risk than clinical gestalt alone: low scores support safe observation or discharge, while high scores support proceeding to surgical consultation or imaging. Pediatric emergency physicians and surgeons use PAS as one input, alongside clinical judgment and imaging, when triaging children presenting with abdominal pain.