Diagnostic accuracy of alarm features in different age groups
| Alarm features | Age groups | PLR (95% CI) | NLR (95% CI) | PPV (95% CI) | NPV (95% CI) |
| Dysphagia | ≤35 | 3.61 (1.51 to 8.60) | 0.97 (0.94 to 1.01) | 2.1% (0.8% to 5.0%) | 99.4% (99.3% to 99.5%) |
| 36–54 | 13.89 (12.38 to 15.58) | 0.75 (0.72 to 0.78) | 25.7% (23.2% to 28.2%) | 98.2% (98.0% to 98.3%) | |
| 55–74 | 10.19 (9.32 to 11.15) | 0.71 (0.69 to 0.73) | 48.5% (46.0% to 51.0%) | 93.9% (93.6% to 94.2%) | |
| ≥75 | 6.07 (5.00 to 7.38) | 0.73 (0.69 to 0.77) | 57.1% (51.7% to 62.3%) | 86.3% (85.0% to 87.4%) | |
| Overall | 13.71 (12.88 to 14.60) | 0.72 (0.71 to 0.74) | 37.8% (36.2% to 39.5%) | 96.9% (96.8% to 97.0%) | |
| Weight loss | ≤35 | 6.52 (3.85 to 11.03) | 0.91 (0.86 to 0.97) | 3.7% (2.1% to 6.4%) | 99.5% (99.4% - 99.6%) |
| 36–54 | 4.10 (3.37 to 4.99) | 0.93 (0.92 to 0.95) | 9.2% (7.6% to 11.2%) | 97.7% (97.6% to 97.9%) | |
| 55–74 | 2.73 (2.38 to 3.12) | 0.94 (0.92 to 0.95) | 20.1% (17.9% to 22.5%) | 92.1% (91.7% to 92.4%) | |
| ≥75 | 1.77 (1.30 to 2.42) | 0.96 (0.94 to 0.99) | 28.0% (21.8% to 35.1%) | 82.6% (81.3% to 83.9%) | |
| Overall | 3.78 (3.42 to 4.18) | 0.93 (0.92 to 0.94) | 14.4% (13.1% to 15.7%) | 96.0% (95.9% to 96.2%) | |
| GI bleeding | ≤35 | 2.80 (1.84 to 4.26) | 0.90 (0.84 to 0.97) | 1.6% (1.0% to 2.6%) | 99.5% (99.4% to 99.6%) |
| 36–54 | 2.01 (1.65 to 2.44) | 0.96 (0.94 to 0.97) | 4.8% (3.9% to 5.8%) | 97.7% (97.5% to 97.8%) | |
| 55–74 | 1.68 (1.46 to 1.94) | 0.96 (0.95 to 0.98) | 13.4% (11.8% to 15.3%) | 91.8% (91.5% to 92.2%) | |
| ≥75 | 1.28 (1.01 to 1.62) | 0.97 (0.94 to 1.00) | 21.8% (17.7% to 26.6%) | 82.5% (81.1% to 83.8%) | |
| Overall | 1.91 (1.73 to 2.10) | 0.96 (0.95 to 0.96) | 7.8% (7.1% to 8.6%) | 95.9% (95.8% to 96.1%) | |
| Vomiting | ≤35 | 1.52 (0.88 to 2.61) | 0.97 (0.91 to 1.02) | 0.9% (0.5% to 1.6%) | 99.4% (99.3% to 99.5%) |
| 36–54 | 1.61 (1.26 to 2.05) | 0.98 (0.97 to 0.99) | 3.8% (3.0% to 4.9%) | 97.6% (97.5% to 97.8%) | |
| 55–74 | 1.21 (0.99 to 1.48) | 0.99 (0.98 to 1.00) | 10.1% (8.3% to 12.1%) | 91.6% (91.3% to 91.9%) | |
| ≥75 | 1.87 (1.44 to 2.43) | 0.94 (0.92 to 0.97) | 29.0% (23.6% to 35.2%) | 82.9% (81.5% to 84.1%) | |
| Overall | 1.40 (1.23 to 1.58) | 0.98 (0.98 to 0.99) | 5.8% (5.2% to 6.6%) | 95.8% (95.7% to 95.9%) | |
GI, gastrointestinal; NLR, negative likelihood ratio; PLR, positive likelihood ratio.