Analysis of Factors Associated With Delayed Medical Consultation for Testicular Torsion Among Adolescents in the Haut-Rhin Department Between 2020 and 2025 (TORSADO)

Analyse Des Facteurs de Retard à la Consultation Dans Les Torsions Testiculaires Chez Les Adolescents du Haut-Rhin Entre 2020 et 2025

The objective of this observational study is to identify the factors that influence whether or not an adolescent seeks immediate medical attention upon the onset of symptoms of testicular torsion. The main question it aims to answer is as follows:

What factors are associated with a delay in seeking medical care-defined as a time interval of 6 hours or more between the onset of symptoms and the first visit to Colmar Hospital-among adolescents aged 10 to 18 who underwent surgery for testicular torsion?

Participation in this study involves completing a questionnaire: the "Questionnaire for Assessing Factors Associated with Delay in Seeking Medical Care for Testicular Torsion in Adolescents."

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Adolescent; Testicular Torsion
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Questionnaire

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 150

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Nicolas Sachnine; Phone Number: +33389126080; Email: nicolassachnine@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Magali Eyriey; Phone Number: +33389124810; Email: cellule-promotion@ch-colmar.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Colmar, France, 68000
    • Recruiting
    • Centre Hospitalier de Colmar
    • Contact: Nicolas Sachnine; Phone Number: +33389126080; Email: nicolassachnine@gmail.com
    • Principal Investigator: Dorine Combescot
    • Sub-Investigator: Sandy Jochault-Ritz

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Teenagers attending at Colmar Hospital

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who underwent surgery for suspected testicular torsion between 2020 and 2025 in the Paediatric Surgery Department of the Hôpitaux Civils de Colmar, following admission via the Paediatric A&E Department of the same hospital;
• Patients aged between 10 and 17 years at the time of admission;
• Participants who, after being informed, do not object to the use of their data for the purposes of this research;
• Holders of parental authority who, after being informed, do not object to the use of their children's data for the purposes of this research.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any intraoperative diagnosis other than testicular torsion (e.g. hydatid torsion);
• Patients who cannot read and/or understand French;
• Participants or legal guardians who have expressed their refusal to take part in the study;
• Unusable patient records: insufficient data.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Early consultation; Patients who attended within strictly less than 6 hours of the onset of symptoms	Other: Questionnaire; Questionnaire for Assessing Factors Associated with Delay in Seeking Medical Care for Testicular Torsion in Adolescents
Delayed consultation; Patients who attended within six hours or more than the onset of symptoms.	Other: Questionnaire; Questionnaire for Assessing Factors Associated with Delay in Seeking Medical Care for Testicular Torsion in Adolescents

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The presence of at least one reported barrier to accessing healthcare	The primary outcome measure is the presence of at least one reported barrier to seeking healthcare, encompassing the reasons for delay cited by patients (embarrassment or shame about discussing symptoms, fear of hospitals, fear of being a bother, downplaying symptoms, or other reasons).	Before the first attending for testicular torsion

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The association between patients' prior knowledge of testicular torsion and the time taken to seek medical advice	The patient's prior awareness of the need to seek urgent medical attention in the event of acute testicular pain, assessed by a binary response (yes/no) to the questionnaire.	Before the first attending for testicular torsion
The role of those close to the individual, particularly parents or legal guardians, in the decision to seek medical advice.	Immediate notification by an adult (parent or legal guardian) as soon as symptoms appear, measured as a binary variable (yes/no).	Before the first attending for testicular torsion
The influence of the initial perception of symptom severity on the time taken to seek medical advice.	The initial subjective perception of symptom severity, assessed using an ordinal scale in response to the question 'When these symptoms/signs first appeared, how did you perceive them?' and analysed categorically. The scale is ranges from 0 = 'Not serious', 1 = 'Slightly serious, 2 = 'Moderately serious' to 3 = 'Extremly serious'. A higher score reflects higher perception of severity.	Before the first attending for testicular torsion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier de Colmar
• Investigators: Study Director: Dorine Combescot, Hôpitaux Civils de Colmar; Principal Investigator: Sandy Jochault-Ritz, Hôpitaux Civils de Colmar

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 13, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 21, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 21, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 18, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Genital Diseases; Genital Diseases, Male; Male Urogenital Diseases; Spermatic Cord Torsion; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Investigative Techniques; Epidemiologic Methods; Data Collection; Health Care Evaluation Mechanisms; Quality of Health Care; Public Health; Environment and Public Health; Surveys and Questionnaires
• Other Study ID Numbers: HCC-019; ID-RCB 2026-A00381-50 (Other Identifier: Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament et des produits de santé)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No