The impact of delay and prehospital factors on acute appendicitis severity in New Zealand children: a national prospective cohort study.

Prehospital delay and differential access to prehospital determinants of health are associated with increased severity of paediatric appendicitis. This manifested as increased severity of appendicitis in rural and Māori children. Understanding the pre-hospital factors that influence the timing of presentation can better inform health-system improvements.