Comparison of Hospital Performance in Emergency Versus Elective General Surgery Operations at 198 Hospitals

Out-of-hours emergent surgery for degenerative spinal disease in Canada: a retrospective cohort study from a national registry

Background

Spinal degenerative disease represents a growing burden on our healthcare system, yet little is known about longitudinal trends in access and care. Our goal was to provide an essential portrait of surgical volume trends for degenerative spinal pathologies within Canada.

Methods

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) database was used to identify all patients receiving surgery for a degenerative spinal condition from 2006 to 2019. Trends in number of interventions, unscheduled vs scheduled hospitalizations, in-hours vs out-of-hours interventions, resource utilization and adverse events were analyzed retrospectively using linear regression models. Confidence intervals were reported in the expected count ratio scale (CR).

Findings

A total of 338,629 spinal interventions and 256,360 hospitalizations between 2006 and 2019 were analyzed. The mean and SD of the annual mean age of patients was 55.5 (SD 1.6) for elective hospitalizations and 55.6 (SD 1.6) for emergent hospitalizations. The proportion of female patients was 47.8% (91,789/192,027) for elective hospitalizations and 41.4% (26,633/64,333) for emergent hospitalizations. Elective hospitalizations increased an average of 2.0% per year, with CR = 1.020 (95% CI 1.017-1.023, p < 0.0001) while emergent hospitalizations exhibited more rapid growth with an average 3.4% annually, with CR 1.034 (95% CI 1.027-1.040, p < 0.0001). «In-hours » surgeries increased on average 2.7% per year, with CR 1.027 (95% CI 1.021-1.033, p < 0.0001), while « out-of-hours » surgeries increased 6.1% annually, with CR 1.061 (95% CI 1.051-1.071, p < 0.0001). The resource utilization for unscheduled hospitalizations approximates two and a half times that of scheduled hospitalizations. The proportions of spinal interventions with at least one adverse event increased on average 6.3% per year, with CR 1.063 (95% CI 1.049-1.077, p < 0.0001).

Interpretation

This study provides novel data critical for all providers and stakeholders. The rapid growth of emergent out-of-hours hospitalizations demonstrates that the needs of this growing patient population have far exceeded health-care resource allocations. Future studies will analyze the health-related quality of life implications of this system shift and identify demographic and socioeconomic inequities in access to surgical care.

Funding

This work was funded by the Bob and Trish Saunders Spine Research Fund through The VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation. The funder of the study had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the manuscript.

Epidemiology of non-trauma orthopedic conditions among inpatients admitted at a tertiary teaching and referral hospital in Kenya: A chart review

Non-traumatic orthopedic conditions are pathological conditions involving musculoskeletal system that includes muscles, tendons, bone and joints and associated with frequent medical and surgical care and high treatment costs. There is paucity of information on the pattern of non-traumatic orthopedic conditions in low and middle income countries. The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiology of non-traumatic orthopedic conditions among inpatients at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya. This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 175 charts reviewed. Approximately, 70.3% of the inpatients were aged between 25 to 64 years of age with the mean age of 39.97 years (STD 18.78). Ever married tended to be older 53.5 (95% CI: 46.8-60.2) years than other marital statuses. Approximately, 60.6% were males, 38.9% had comorbidities and 49.1% were casuals or unemployed. All inpatients were Kenyans with Nairobi County comprising 52.6% of all inpatients. Approximately, 77.7% were self-referrals. The commonest non-trauma orthopaedic conditions were infection and non-union (35.4%) and spinal degenerative diseases (20.60%) and the least was limb deformities (1.70%). Compared to females, males were 3.703 (p<0.001) times more likely to have infection and non-union. Patients with primary, secondary and tertiary education were 88.2% (p<0.001), 75.6% (p<0.001) and 68.1% (p = 0.016) less likely to have infection and non-union compared to those with no or preschool education. Widows were 8.500 (p = 0.028) times more likely to have spinal degenerative disease than married. Males were 70.8% (p = 0.031) less likely to have osteoarthritis than females. Inpatients with secondary education were 5.250 (p = 0.040) times more likely to have osteoarthritis than those with no or preschool education. In conclusion, majority of inpatients were young and middle aged adults. Infection and non-union and spinal degenerative diseases were the most common non-trauma orthopedic conditions. While males and those with low education were more likely to have infection and non-union, married were more likely to have spinal degenerative disease. Osteoarthritis was more likely among female admissions.

The impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on surgical outcomes after surgery for an acute abdominal diagnosis

PURPOSE

The current study was undertaken to describe the independent contribution of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to the risk of postoperative morbidity and in-hospital mortality among patients undergoing surgery for an acute abdominal diagnosis.

METHODS

Patients who underwent emergency abdominal procedures were identified from the electronic database of the Department of Visceral, Transplantation, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery of our institution. To evaluate differences in surgical risk associated with COPD, patients with COPD were matched for age, sex, and type of surgery with an equal number of controls who did not have COPD. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate the univariate and multivariate associations between the independent variables, including COPD and outcome variables.

RESULTS

Between January 2012 and December 2022, 3519 patients undergoing abdominal emergency surgery were identified in our abdominal surgical department. After removing ineligible cases, 201 COPD cases with an equal number of matched controls remained for analysis. The prevalence of COPD after the exclusion of ineligible cases was 5.7%. There were statistically significant differences in the rate of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs [57.7% vs. 35.8%; P < 0.001]), ventilator dependence (VD [63.2% vs. 46.3%; P < 0.001]), thromboembolic events (TEEs [22.9% vs. 12.9%; P = 0.009]), and in-hospital mortality (41.3% vs. 30.8%; P = 029) for patients with and without COPD. Independent of other covariates, the presence of COPD was not associated with a significantly increased risk of in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.16; 95% CI 0.70-1.97; P = 0.591) but was associated with an increased risk of PPCs (OR, 2.49; 95% CI 1.41-4.14; P = 0.002) and VD (OR, 2.26; 95% CI 1.22-4.17; P = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Preexisting COPD may alter a patient's risk of PPCs and VD. However, it was not associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality.

Validation of the emergency surgery score (ESS) in a UK patient population and comparison with NELA scoring: a retrospective multicentre cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Accurate risk scoring in emergency general surgery (EGS) is vital for consent and resource allocation. The emergency surgery score (ESS) has been validated as a reliable preoperative predictor of postoperative outcomes in EGS but has been studied only in the US population. Our primary aim was to perform an external validation study of the ESS in a UK population. Our secondary aim was to compare the accuracy of ESS and National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) scores.

METHODS

We conducted an observational cohort study of adult patients undergoing emergency laparotomy over three years in two UK centres. ESS was calculated retrospectively. NELA scores and all other variables were obtained from the prospectively collected Emergency Laparotomy and Laparoscopic Scottish Audit (ELLSA) database. The primary and secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality and postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) admission, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 609 patients were included. Median age was 65 years, 52.7% were female, the overall mortality was 9.9% and 23.8% were admitted to ICU. Both ESS and NELA were equally accurate in predicting 30-day mortality (c-statistic=0.78 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71-0.85) for ESS and c-statistic=0.83 (95% CI, 0.77-0.88) for NELA, p=0.196) and predicting postoperative ICU admission (c-statistic=0.76 (95% CI, 0.71-0.81) for ESS and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.76-0.85) for NELA, p=0.092).

CONCLUSIONS

In the UK population, ESS and NELA both predict 30-day mortality and ICU admission with no statistically significant difference but with higher c-statistics for NELA score. Both scores have certain advantages, with ESS being validated for a wider range of outcomes.

Provider perceptions of challenges and facilitators to surgical care in unhoused patients: A qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

Unhoused patients have worse surgical outcomes than the general population. However, the drivers of this inequity have not been studied.

METHODS

We conducted 26 semi-structured interviews of clinicians who care for patients with surgical disease, using a purposive sampling strategy to intentionally recruit participants with significant experience caring for unhoused patients across different roles. We used thematic analysis to analyze the resulting data.

RESULTS

We conducted 26 interviews: 11 with surgeons (42%), 8 with internal medicine physicians (30%), 2 with surgical advanced practice providers (8%), 3 with social workers or case managers (11%), and 2 with registered nurses (8%). One-third of the participants worked in either medical respite or street medicine programs. We identified 5 themes, each of which was most relevant at a distinct point along the spectrum of surgical care: (1) patients and clinicians face multiple challenges meeting preoperative requirements, (2) although surgeons do not make major operative decisions based on housing status, some take it into consideration for minor care decisions, (3) clinicians perceive that unhoused patients have negative postoperative experiences in the hospital, (4) discharge options for unhoused patients are commonly imperfect, which can lead to inadequate postoperative care, (5) challenges with formal communication between surgeons and non-surgeons are amplified when caring for unhoused patients.

CONCLUSION

Clinicians who care for unhoused patients with surgical disease relayed multiple challenges throughout all phases of surgical care and relied on both formal and informal mechanisms to mitigate these challenges. There may be opportunities to intervene and improve access to surgical care for this vulnerable group.

Is simultaneous bariatric surgery and ventral hernia repair a safe and effective approach?

BACKGROUND

There is currently a lack of consensus regarding the timing of ventral hernia repair relative to bariatric surgery.

OBJECTIVES

To compare outcomes between patients undergoing simultaneous and selectively deferred ventral hernia repair and bariatric surgery.

SETTING

High volume UPPER gastrointestinal and Bariatric Unit. Sydney, Australia.

METHODS

A retrospective case series from a single institution's prospectively collected database (2003-21) was performed to determine the characteristics and outcomes in patients having simultaneous and deferred hernia repair relative to their bariatric surgery.

RESULTS

In our patient cohort (N = 134), 111 patients underwent simultaneous repair and 23 had a deferred procedure. Of the simultaneous patients, 95 (85.6%) underwent resection bariatric surgery. The median operative time in the simultaneous versus deferred groups was 155 versus 287 minutes and the length of stay was 3 versus 7 days. There has been one (.9%) mesh infection requiring explant, in an open, simultaneous repair undertaken in a gastric band patient, 3 (2.8%) infected seromas, 1 (.9%) surgical site infection, and 8 (7.5%) hernia recurrences in the simultaneous group. The deferred group has had no mesh infections, no hernia recurrence, and 2 (9.5%) infected seromas to date. There was 1 mortality in the simultaneous cohort (simultaneous gastric bypass group), from a massive Pulmonary Embolism (<30 days postoperatively) and one in the deferred group from an interval small bowel obstruction.

CONCLUSIONS

Simultaneous ventral hernia repair with bariatric surgery had a low rate of infection and a low mesh explant rate, even when coupled with resection bariatric surgery in this series. A combined approach may be safe, even in the clean-contaminated surgical context.

Association of Housing Status With Types of Operations and Postoperative Health Care Utilization

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the association between housing status and the nature of surgical care provided, health care utilization, and operational outcomes.

BACKGROUND

Unhoused patients have worse outcomes and higher health care utilization across multiple clinical domains. However, little has been published describing the burden of surgical disease in unhoused patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 111,267 operations from 2013 to 2022 with housing status documented at a single, tertiary care institution. We conducted unadjusted bivariate and multivariate analyses adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 998 operations (0.8%) were performed for unhoused patients, with a higher proportion of emergent operations than housed patients (56% vs 22%). In unadjusted analysis, unhoused patients had longer length of stay (18.7 vs 8.7 days), higher readmissions (9.5% vs 7.5%), higher in-hospital (2.9% vs 1.8%) and 1-year mortality (10.1% vs 8.2%), more in-hospital reoperations (34.6% vs 15.9%), and higher utilization of social work, physical therapy, and occupational therapy services. After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, insurance status, and indication for operation, as well as stratifying by emergent versus elective operation, these differences went away for emergent operations.

CONCLUSIONS

In this retrospective cohort analysis, unhoused patients more commonly underwent emergent operations than their housed counterparts and had more complex hospitalizations on an unadjusted basis that largely disappeared after adjustment for patient and operative characteristics. These findings suggest issues with upstream access to surgical care that, when unaddressed, may predispose this vulnerable population to more complex hospitalizations and worse longer term outcomes.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) Society Consensus Guidelines for Emergency Laparotomy Part 3: Organizational Aspects and General Considerations for Management of the Emergency Laparotomy Patient

BACKGROUND

This is Part 3 of the first consensus guidelines for optimal care of patients undergoing emergency laparotomy using an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) approach. This paper addresses organizational aspects of care.

METHODS

Experts in management of the high-risk and emergency general surgical patient were invited to contribute by the International ERAS® Society. PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and MEDLINE database searches were performed for ERAS elements and relevant specific topics. Studies were selected with particular attention to randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and large cohort studies, and reviewed and graded using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Recommendations were made on the best level of evidence, or extrapolation from studies on elective patients when appropriate. A modified Delphi method was used to validate final recommendations.

RESULTS

Components of organizational aspects of care were considered. Consensus was reached after three rounds of a modified Delphi process.

CONCLUSIONS

These guidelines are based on best current available evidence for organizational aspects of an ERAS® approach to patients undergoing emergency laparotomy and include discussion of less common aspects of care for the surgical patient, including end-of-life issues. These guidelines are not exhaustive but pull together evidence on important components of care for this high-risk patient population. As much of the evidence is extrapolated from elective surgery or emergency general surgery (not specifically laparotomy), many of the components need further evaluation in future studies.

Can the American College of Surgeons NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator Accurately Predict Adverse Postoperative Outcomes in Emergency Abdominal Surgery? An Italian Multicenter Analysis

BACKGROUND

The American College of Surgeons NSQIP surgical risk calculator provides an estimation of 30-day postoperative adverse outcomes. It is useful in the identification of high-risk patients needing clinical optimization and supports the informed consent process. The purpose of this study is to validate its predictive value in the Italian emergency setting.

STUDY DESIGN

Six Italian institutions were included. Inclusion diagnoses were acute cholecystitis, appendicitis, gastrointestinal perforation or obstruction. Areas under the receiving operating characteristic curves, Brier score, Hosmer-Lemeshow index, and observed-to-expected event ratio were measured to assess both discrimination and calibration. Effect of the Surgeon Adjustment Score on calibration was then tested. A patient's personal risk ratio was obtained, and a cutoff was chosen to predict mortality with a high negative predicted value.

RESULTS

A total of 2,749 emergency procedures were considered for the analysis. The areas under the receiving operating characteristic curve were 0.932 for death (0.921 to 0.941, p < 0.0001; Brier 0.041) and 0.918 for discharge to nursing or rehabilitation facility (0.907 to 0.929, p < 0.0001; 0.070). Discrimination was also strong (area under the receiving operating characteristic curve >0.8) for renal failure, cardiac complication, pneumonia, venous thromboembolism, serious complication, and any complication. Brier score was informative (<0.25) for all the presented variables. The observed-to-expected event ratios were 1.0 for death and 0.8 for discharge to facility. For almost all other variables, there was a general risk underestimation, but the use of the Surgeon Adjustment Score permitted a better calibration of the model. A risk ratio >3.00 predicted the onset of death with sensitivity = 86%, specificity = 77%, and negative predicted value = 99%.

CONCLUSIONS

The American College of Surgeons NSQIP surgical risk calculator has proved to be a reliable predictor of adverse postoperative outcomes also in Italian emergency settings, with particular regard to mortality. We therefore recommend the use of the surgical risk calculator in the multidisciplinary care of patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery.

Postoperative Complications and Outcome After Emergency Laparotomy: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Emergency laparotomy (EL) is a common urgent surgical procedure with high risk for postoperative complications. Complications impair the prognosis and prolong the hospital stay. This study explored the incidence and distribution of complications and their impact on short-term mortality after EL.

METHODS

This was a retrospective single-center register-based cohort study of 674 adults undergoing midline EL between May 2015 and December 2017. The primary outcome was operation-related or medical complication after EL. The secondary outcome was mortality in 90-day follow-up. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify independent risk factors for complications.

RESULTS

A total of 389 (58%) patients developed complications after EL, including 215 (32%) patients with operation-related complications and 361 (54%) patients with medical complications. Most of the complications were Clavien-Dindo classification type 4b (28%) and type 2 (22%). Operation-related complications occurred later compared to medical complications. Respiratory complications were the most common medical complications, and infections were the most common operation-related complications. The 30- and 90-day mortalities were higher in both the medical (17.2%, 26.2%) and operation-related complication groups (13.5%, 24.2%) compared to patients without complications (10.5% and 4.8%, 14.8% and 8.0%). Low albumin, high surgical urgency, excessive alcohol consumption and medical complications were associated with operation-related complications. Older age, high ASA class and operation-related complications were associated with medical complications.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that EL is associated with a high risk of complications and poor short-term outcome. Complications impair the prognosis regardless of which kind of EL is in question.

Reconceptualizing high-quality emergency general surgery care: Non-mortality-based quality metrics enable meaningful and consistent assessment

BACKGROUND

Ongoing efforts to promote quality-improvement in emergency general surgery (EGS) have made substantial strides but lack clear definitions of what constitutes "high-quality" EGS care. To address this concern, we developed a novel set of five non-mortality-based quality metrics broadly applicable to the care of all EGS patients and sought to discern whether (1) they can be used to identify groups of best-performing EGS hospitals, (2) results are similar for simple versus complex EGS severity in both adult (18-64 years) and older adult (≥65 years) populations, and (3) best performance is associated with differences in hospital-level factors.

METHODS

Patients hospitalized with 1-of-16 American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-defined EGS conditions were identified in the 2019 Nationwide Readmissions Database. They were stratified by age/severity into four cohorts: simple adults, complex adults, simple older adults, complex older adults. Within each cohort, risk-adjusted hierarchical models were used to calculate condition-specific risk-standardized quality metrics. K-means cluster analysis identified hospitals with similar performance, and multinomial regression identified predictors of resultant "best/average/worst" EGS care.

RESULTS

A total of 1,130,496 admissions from 984 hospitals were included (40.6% simple adults, 13.5% complex adults, 39.5% simple older adults, and 6.4% complex older adults). Within each cohort, K-means cluster analysis identified three groups ("best/average/worst"). Cluster assignment was highly conserved with 95.3% of hospitals assigned to the same cluster in each cohort. It was associated with consistently best/average/worst performance across differences in outcomes (5×) and EGS conditions (16×). When examined for associations with hospital-level factors, best-performing hospitals were those with the largest EGS volume, greatest extent of patient frailty, and most complicated underlying patient case-mix.

CONCLUSION

Use of non-mortality-based quality metrics appears to offer a needed promising means of evaluating high-quality EGS care. The results underscore the importance of accounting for outcomes applicable to all EGS patients when designing quality-improvement initiatives and suggest that, given the consistency of best-performing hospitals, natural EGS centers-of-excellence could exist.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic and Epidemiological; Level III.

Potential Access to Emergency General Surgical Care in Ontario

Limited access to timely emergency general surgery (EGS) care is a probable driver of increased mortality and morbidity. Our objective was to estimate the portion of the Ontario population with potential access to 24/7 EGS care. Geographic information system-based network-analysis was used to model 15-, 30-, 45-, 60-, and 90-min land transport catchment areas for hospitals providing EGS care, 24/7 emergency department (ED) access, and/or 24/7 operating room (OR) access. The capabilities of hospitals to provide each service were derived from a prior survey. Population counts were based on 2016 census blocks, and the 2019 road network for Ontario was used to determine speed limits and driving restrictions. Ninety-six percent of the Ontario population (n = 12,933,892) lived within 30-min's driving time to a hospital that provides any EGS care. The availability of 24/7 EDs was somewhat more limited, with 95% (n = 12,821,747) having potential access at 30-min. Potential access to all factors, including 24/7 ORs, was only possible for 93% (n = 12,471,908) of people at 30-min. Populations with potential access were tightly clustered around metropolitan centers. Supplementation of 24/7 OR capabilities, particularly in centers with existing 24/7 ED infrastructure, is most likely to improve access without the need for new hospitals.

Perioperative outcomes of emergency and elective colorectal surgery: a bi-institutional study

BACKGROUND

Emergency colorectal surgery tends to be associated with poorer outcomes compared to elective colorectal surgery. This study assessed the morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing emergency and elective colorectal resection in two metropolitan hospitals.

METHODS

Patients were identified retrospectively from two institutions between April 2018 and July 2020. Baseline, operative and postoperative parameters were collected for comparative analysis between emergency and elective surgery groups. A binary logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of postoperative complications.

RESULTS

During the study period, 454 patients underwent colorectal resection, 135 were emergency cases (29.74%) and 319 were elective cases (70.26%). Compared with elective resections, patients undergoing emergency resections were observed to have a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score of III to IV (53.33% vs. 38.56%) (P = 0.004). The mortality rate was similar between the emergency and elective group (1.48% vs. 0.63%, P = 0.369). The overall complication rate was higher in patients undergoing emergency resections (64.44% vs. 36.68%, P < 0.001), but the major complication rate was similar between groups (12.59% vs. 10.34%, P = 0.484). Independent predictors for postoperative complications included emergency surgery (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.77, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.66 to 4.61) and an ASA Score of III to IV (OR 2.87, 95% CI: 1.84 to 4.47).

CONCLUSION

The overall complication rate was higher in patients undergoing emergency colorectal resection, however, rates of major complications and mortality were similar between groups. Higher complication rates reflect advanced disease pathology in patients who are more comorbid.

Laparoscopy is associated with decreased all-cause mortality in patients undergoing emergency general surgery procedures in a regional health system

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of laparoscopic surgery for common emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures within an integrated Acute Care Surgery (ACS) network. We hypothesized that laparoscopy would be associated with improved outcomes.

METHODS

Our integrated health care system's EGS registry created from AAST EGS ICD-9 codes was queried from January 2013 to October 2015. Procedures were grouped as laparoscopic or open. Standard descriptive and univariate tests were performed, and a multivariable logistic regression controlling for open status, age, BMI, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), trauma tier, and resuscitation diagnosis was performed. Laparoscopic procedures converted to open were identified and analyzed using concurrent procedure billing codes across episodes of care.

RESULTS

Of 60,604 EGS patients identified over the 33-month period, 7280 (12.0%) had an operation and 6914 (11.4%) included AAST-defined EGS procedures. There were 4813 (69.6%) surgeries performed laparoscopically. Patients undergoing a laparoscopic procedure tended to be younger (45.7 ± 18.0 years vs. 57.2 ± 17.6, p < 0.001) with similar BMI (29.7 ± 9.0 kg/m² vs. 28.8 ± 8.3, p < 0.001). Patients in the laparoscopic group had lower mean CCI score (1.6 ± 2.3 vs. 3.4 ± 3.2, p ≤ 0.0001). On multivariable analysis, open surgery had the highest association with inpatient mortality (OR 8.67, 4.23-17.75, p < 0.0001) and at all time points (30-, 90-day, 1-, 3-year). At all time points, conversion to open was found to be a statistically significant protective factor.

CONCLUSION

Use of laparoscopy in EGS is common and associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality at all time points compared to open procedures. Conversion to open was protective at all time points compared to open procedures.

The Effect of Weekend Surgery on Outcomes of Emergency Laparotomy: Experience at a High Volume District General Hospital

Aims

Emergency laparotomies (ELs) are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Delays to the theater are inevitably associated with worse outcomes. Higher mortality has been reported with admissions over the weekend. The aim of this study is to compare the delays and outcomes of emergency laparotomies performed on weekdays (WD) and weekends (WE) at a high-volume, large district general hospital.

Methods

A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database was performed for all patients who underwent general surgical emergency laparotomy between June and October 2021. Patient outcomes were compared between delayed and non-delayed surgeries as per the NCEPOD (National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomes and Death) classification. The primary outcome compared was the 30-day post-operative mortality and morbidity determined by the Clavein-Dindo class ≥2.

Secondary outcomes included the time from booking to anaesthesia start time, i.e., time to theatre (TTT), delay in surgery, out-of-hours (OOH) surgery, and unplanned return to theatres.

Results

Of the 103 laparotomies included, 33% were performed over the weekend. The most common indication for emergency laparotomy was bowel obstruction (53.4 %), followed by perforation (28.2%). There was no significant difference in mortality, the TTT (p = 0.218), delay in surgery with respect to the NCEPOD category of intervention (p = 0.401), postoperative length of stay (p = 0.555), number of cases operated OOH as well as unplanned return to theatres. There was a significant difference in the morbidity of patients between the two groups (Clavein-Dindo class ≥2, p = 0.021).

Conclusion

With consistent consultant involvement, an equivalent standard of weekend emergency surgical service can be delivered.

Perioperative fluid administration and complications in emergency gastrointestinal surgery-an observational study

BACKGROUND

The fluid balance associated with a better outcome following emergency surgery is unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the association of the perioperative fluid balance and postoperative complications during emergency gastrointestinal surgery.

METHODS

We retrospectively included patients undergoing emergency surgery for gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation. A perioperative fluid balance of 2.5 L divided the cohort in a conservative and liberal group. Outcome was Clavien-Dindo graded complications registered 90 days postoperatively. We used logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists' classification, use of epidural analgesia, use of vasopressor, type of surgery, intraabdominal pathology, and hospital. Predicted risk of complications was demonstrated on a continuous scale of the fluid balance.

RESULTS

We included 342 patients operated between July 2014 and July 2015 from three centers. The perioperative fluid balance was 1.6 L IQR [1.0 to 2.0] in the conservative vs. 3.6 L IQR [3.0 to 5.3] in the liberal group. Odds ratio of overall 2.6 (95% CI 1.5 to 4.4), p < 0.001, and cardiopulmonary complications 3.2 (95% CI 1.9 to 5.7), p < 0.001, were increased in the liberal group. A perioperative fluid balance of 0-2 L was associated with minimal risk of cardiopulmonary complications compared to 1.5-3.5 L for renal complications.

CONCLUSION

We found a perioperative fluid balance above 2.5 L to be associated with an increased risk of overall and cardiopulmonary complications following emergency surgery for gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation. A perioperative fluid balance of 0-2 L was associated with the lowest risk of cardiopulmonary complications and 1.5-3.5 L for renal complications.

Emergency General Surgery Quality Improvement: A Review of Recommended Structure and Key Issues

Emergency general surgery (EGS) accounts for 11% of hospital admissions, with more than 3 million admissions per year and more than 50% of operative mortality in the US. Recent research into EGS has ignited multiple quality improvement initiatives, and the process of developing national standards and verification in EGS has been initiated. Such programs for quality improvement in EGS include registry formation, protocol and standards creation, evidenced-based protocols, disease-specific protocol implementation, regional collaboratives, targeting of high-risk procedures such as exploratory laparotomy, focus on special populations like geriatrics, and targeting improvements in high opportunity outcomes such as failure to rescue. The authors present a collective narrative review of advances in quality improvement structure in EGS in recent years and summarize plans for a national EGS registry and American College of Surgeons verification for this under-resourced area of surgery.

Long-term Outcomes After Emergency Laparotomy: a Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND

Emergency laparotomy (EL) is a common surgical operation with poor outcomes. Patients undergoing EL are often frail and have chronic comorbidities, but studies focused on the long-term outcomes after EL are lacking. The aim of the present study was to examine the long-term mortality after EL.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective single-center cohort study of 674 adults undergoing midline EL between May 2015 and December 2017. The follow-up lasted until September 2020. The primary outcome was 2-year mortality after surgery. The secondary outcome was factors associated with mortality during follow-up.

RESULTS

A total of 554 (82%) patients survived > 90 days after EL and were included in the analysis. Of these patients, 120 (18%) died during the follow-up. The survivors were younger than the non-survivors (median [IQR] 64 [49-74] vs. 71 [63-80] years, p < 0.001). In a Cox regression model, death during follow-up was associated with longer duration of operation (OR 2.21 [95% CI 1.27-3.83]), higher ASA classification (OR 2.37 [1.15-4.88]), higher CCI score (OR 4.74 [3.15-7.14]), and postoperative medical complications (OR 1.61 [1.05-2.47]).

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-related factors, such as higher ASA classification and CCI score, were the most remarkable factors associated with poor long-term outcome and mortality after EL.

The effects of cardiovascular and orthopaedic surgery on vitamin concentrations: a narrative review of the literature and mechanisms of action

Given the rise in worldwide chronic diseases, supplemented by an aging population, the volume of global major surgeries, encompassing cardiac and orthopedic procedures is anticipated to surge significantly. Surgical trauma can be accompanied by numerous postoperative complications and metabolic changes. The present review summarized the results from studies assessing the effects of orthopedic and cardiovascular surgery on vitamin concentrations, in addition to exploring the possible mechanisms associated with changes in concentrations. Studies have revealed a potentially severe depletion in plasma/serum concentrations of numerous vitamins following these surgeries acutely. Vitamins C, D and B1 appear particularly vulnerable to significant depletions, with vitamin C and D depletions consistently transpiring into inadequate and deficient concentrations, respectively. The possible multifactorial mechanisms impacting postoperative vitamin concentrations include changes in hemodilution and vitamin utilization, redistribution, circulatory transport and absorption. For a majority of vitamins, there has been a lack of investigation into the effects of both, cardiac and orthopedic surgery. Additionally, studies were predominantly restricted to short-term postoperative investigations, primarily performed within the first postoperative week of surgery. Overall, results indicated that further examination is necessary to determine the severity and clinical significance of the possible depletions in vitamin concentrations that ensue cardiovascular and orthopedic surgery.

Patient perceptive focus on recovery: An exploratory study on follow-up after major emergency abdominal surgery

BACKGROUND

Optimal recovery can be defined as the adequate in-hospital length of stay with minimal postoperative complications and readmissions. The quality of recovery beyond the immediate postoperative period after major emergency abdominal surgery is yet to be fully described. We hypothesized that long-term measures of overall recovery were affected after surgery. The study aimed to investigate patient-focused recovery-related parameters 1 year after major emergency abdominal surgery.

METHOD

This is a prospective study including patients undergoing major emergency abdominal surgery at a Danish secondary referral center. Three questionnaires were answered regarding the recovery following the procedure; Activities Assessment Scale (AAS); Quality of Recovery-15 (QoR-15), and Self-complete Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (S-LANSS). All questionnaires were answered at postoperative days (PODs) 14, 30, 90, and 365.

RESULTS

Eighty-two patients were included, and 68 were available for follow-up until 1 year after surgery. The response rates differed between the follow-up time points, with a response rate of 85% (n = 59) at POD30 and 50% (n = 36) at POD365. A decrease in the level of physical function following surgery was observed in 60% of the patients at POD14, which improved to 36% at POD365. Twenty-four patients (48%) reported postoperative pain at POD14, which declined to 9 (26%) at POD365. The maximum overall recovery was reached at POD30, which remained stable throughout the study period.

CONCLUSION

One in three patients reported physical functional impairment, and one in four patients reported pain 1 year after their surgical procedure.

Structures, processes and models of care for emergency general surgery in Ontario: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Emergency general surgery (EGS) patients require urgent surgical evaluation and intervention for various conditions, such as infectious or obstructive diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. We aimed to characterize the structures and processes that are relevant to the delivery of EGS care across Ontario hospitals and to evaluate the availability of critical resources at hospitals with formal EGS models.

METHODS

Between August 2019 and July 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of Ontario hospitals that offered urgent general surgery (defined as the ability to provide nonelective surgical intervention within 24 to 48 hours of presentation) to adults. People with intimate knowledge of their hospital's EGS program completed a Web-based or telephone survey characterizing the program's organizational structure and staffing, operating room availability, interventional radiology and interventional endoscopy availability, intensive care unit availability and staffing, and regional participation. Their responses were compiled and comparisons were made between hospitals with and without formal EGS models of care, as well as between hospitals based on size and academic status.

RESULTS

Of the 114 Ontario hospitals identified, 109 responded (95.6% response rate). A third (34.6%; n = 37/107) of hospitals had EGS models of care. Thirty-four of these (91.9%) were large (> 100-bed) institutions that would be likely to have increased resources. However, even for hospitals of similar size, those with EGS models had increased staffing levels compared to those without (clinical associates 17.6% [n = 3/17] v. 10.0% [n = 2/20]; nurse practitioners or physician assistants 27.8% [n = 5/18] v. 14.3% [n = 3/21]). They also had better access to diagnostic and interventional equipment (24/7 access to computed tomography 94.1% [n = 16/17] v. 69.2% [n = 18/26]), interventional radiology (88.9% [n = 16/18] v. 42.3% [n = 11/26]), endoscopy (100% [n = 18/18] v. 69.2% [n = 18/26]) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (77.8% [n = 14/18] v. 42.3% [n = 11/26]), as well as dedicated operating room time (72.2% [n = 13/18] v. 0% [n = 0/25]).

INTERPRETATION

The structures and processes available to care for patients requiring EGS in Ontario were highly variable between hospitals. Hospitals with formal EGS models were more likely to have access to key resources.

Perioperative Outcome in Dogs Undergoing Emergency Abdominal Surgery: A Retrospective Study on 82 Cases (2018-2020)

Emergency abdominal surgery carries high morbidity and mortality rates in human medicine; however, there is less evidence characterising the outcome of these surgeries as a single group in dogs. The aim of the study was to characterise the clinical course, associated complications and outcome of dogs undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. A retrospective study was conducted. Dogs undergoing emergency laparotomy were included in the study. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables correlated with death and complications. Eighty-two dogs were included in the study. The most common reason for surgery was a gastrointestinal foreign body. Overall, the 15-day mortality rate was 20.7% (17/82). The median (range) length of hospitalisation was 3 (0.5-15) days. Of the 82 patients, 24 (29.3%) developed major complications and 66 (80.5%) developed minor complications. Perioperative factors significantly associated with death included tachycardia (p < 0.001), hypothermia (p < 0.001), lactate acidosis (p < 0.001), shock index > 1 (p < 0.001), leukopenia (p < 0.001) and thrombocytopenia (p < 0.001) at admission, as well as intraoperative hypotension (p < 0.001) and perioperative use of blood products (p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that mortality and morbidity rates after emergency abdominal surgery in dogs are high.

Emergency gastrointestinal surgery in patients undergoing antithrombotic therapy in a single general hospital: a propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to review and evaluate the surgical outcomes, particularly intraoperative severe blood loss and postoperative blood complications, of emergency gastrointestinal surgery in patients undergoing antithrombotic therapy (AT). Emergency surgeries for patients with antithrombotic medication have been increasing in the aging population. However, the effect of AT on intraoperative blood loss and perioperative complications remains unclear.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 732 patients who underwent emergency gastrointestinal surgery between April 2014 and March 2019. Patients were classified into AT group and Non-AT group, and propensity score-matched analysis was performed to compare the short surgical outcomes between the groups. Additionally, risk factors in severe estimated blood loss (EBL) and postoperative bleeding complications were assessed.

RESULTS

Altogether, 64 patients received AT; 50 patients and 12, and 2 were given antiplatelet and anticoagulant, and both drugs, respectively. After propensity score matching, EBL (101 vs. 99 mL; p = 0.466) and postoperative complications (14 vs. 16 patients; p = 0.676) were similar between the groups (63 patients matched paired). Intraoperative severe bleeding (EBL ≥ 492 mL) occurred in 44 patients. Multivariate analysis using the full cohort revealed that antithrombotic drug use was not an independent risk factor for severe bleeding and postoperative bleeding complications.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated antithrombotic drugs do not adversely affect the perioperative outcomes of emergency gastrointestinal surgery.

Guidelines for Perioperative Care for Emergency Laparotomy Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society Recommendations: Part 1-Preoperative: Diagnosis, Rapid Assessment and Optimization

BACKGROUND

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols reduce length of stay, complications and costs for a large number of elective surgical procedures. A similar, structured approach appears to improve outcomes, including mortality, for patients undergoing high-risk emergency general surgery, and specifically emergency laparotomy. These are the first consensus guidelines for optimal care of these patients using an ERAS approach.

METHODS

Experts in aspects of management of the high-risk and emergency general surgical patient were invited to contribute by the International ERAS® Society. Pubmed, Cochrane, Embase, and MEDLINE database searches on English language publications were performed for ERAS elements and relevant specific topics. Studies on each item were selected with particular attention to randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and large cohort studies, and reviewed and graded using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Recommendations were made on the best level of evidence, or extrapolation from studies on non-emergency patients when appropriate. The Delphi method was used to validate final recommendations. The guideline has been divided into two parts: Part 1-Preoperative Care and Part 2-Intraoperative and Postoperative management. This paper provides guidelines for Part 1.

RESULTS

Twelve components of preoperative care were considered. Consensus was reached after three rounds.

CONCLUSIONS

These guidelines are based on the best available evidence for an ERAS approach to patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. Initial management is particularly important for patients with sepsis and physiological derangement. These guidelines should be used to improve outcomes for these high-risk patients.

The requirement for surgery and subsequent 30-day mortality in patients with COVID-19

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had profound effects on the provision of surgical care. The potential perioperative mortality associated with surgical procedures in patients with COVID-19 has been estimated at 20%, but the data come from jurisdictions that experienced very high surges of COVID-19 patients. A rapid assessment of the types of surgical care for patients with COVID-19 in Ontario was carried out using administrative data, and we found that during the initial wave in the spring of 2020, surgical interventions were required in 0.6% of patients with COVID-19, and mortality was higher (20%) in patients who underwent surgery in the 2 weeks before or after a positive nasopharygeal swab than in those who had surgery more than 2 weeks after COVID-19 was diagnosed.

Loss of independence after emergency inguinal hernia repair in elderly patients: How aggressive should we be?

BACKGROUND

Loss of independence (LOI) assesses patient quality of life after surgery and is associated with increased readmission and death. This paper compares LOI among the elderly who received elective versus emergent inguinal hernia repair.

METHODS

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) Participant User Files from 2015 to 2017 were reviewed for inguinal hernia repairs in patients 70-years-old or older. Chi-square analysis, Student t-test, and backwards multivariate logistic analysis were performed appropriately.

RESULTS

Patients undergoing elective open or laparoscopic repair were less likely to experience LOI (OR 0.061, CI 0.035-0.106) and (OR 0.052 CI 0.024-0.113), respectively, and they were less likely to experience mortality (OR 0.07, CI 0.026-0.185) and (OR 0.059, CI 0.015-0.229), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant debility occurs following emergency inguinal hernia repair in elderly patients. Elective surgery may be indicated more often in order to reduce emergencies and LOI in elderly patients.

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality in Surgical Wards: A Multivariable Retrospective Cohort Analysis of 2,800,069 Hospitalizations

BACKGROUND

Identifying prognostic factors that are predictive of in-hospital mortality for patients in surgical units may help in identifying high-risk patients and developing an approach to reduce mortality. This study analyzed mortality predictors based on outcomes obtained from a national database of adult patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study design collected data obtained from the National Health Fund in Poland comprised of 2,800,069 hospitalizations of adult patients in surgical wards during one calendar year. Predictors of mortality which were analyzed included: the patient's gender and age, diagnosis-related group category assigned to the hospitalization, length of the hospitalization, hospital type, admission type, and day of admission.

RESULTS

The overall mortality rate was 0.8%, and the highest rate was seen in trauma admissions (24.5%). There was an exponential growth in mortality with respect to the patient's age, and male gender was associated with a higher risk of death. Compared to elective admissions, the mortality was 6.9-fold and 15.69-fold greater for urgent and emergency admissions (p < 0.0001), respectively. Weekend or bank holiday admissions were associated with a higher risk of death than working day admissions. The "weekend" effect appears to begin on Friday. The highest mortality was observed in less than 1 day emergency cases and with a hospital stay longer than 61 days in any type of admission.

CONCLUSION

Age, male gender, emergency admission, and admission on the weekend or a bank holiday are factors associated with greater mortality in surgical units.

Efficient evaluation of center-level emergency surgery performance using a high-yield procedure set: A step towards an EGS registry

BACKGROUND

Emergency general surgery (EGS) lacks mechanisms to compare performance between institutions. Focusing on higher-risk procedures may efficiently identify outliers.

METHODS

EGS patients were identified from the 2016 State Inpatient Databases of Florida, New York, and Kentucky. Risk-adjusted mortality was calculated as an O:E ratio, generating expected mortality from a model including demographic and procedural factors. Outliers were centers whose 90% confidence intervals excluded 1. This was repeated in several subsets, to determine if these yielded outliers similar to the overall dataset.

RESULTS

We identified 45,430 EGS patients. Overall, 3 high performing centers and 5 low performing centers were identified. Exclusion of appendectomies and cholecystectomies resulted in a remaining data set of 13,569 patients (29.9% of the overall data set), with 2 high performers and 5 low performers. One low performer in the limited data set was not identified in the overall set.

CONCLUSION

Evaluation of 5 procedures, making up less than a third of EGS, identifies most outliers. A streamlined monitoring procedure may facilitate maintenance of an EGS registry.

Blood transfusion in major emergency abdominal surgery

BACKGROUND

Major emergency abdominal surgery is associated with excess mortality. Transfusion is known to be associated with increased morbidity and emergency surgery is an independent risk factor for perioperative transfusion. The primary objectives of this study were to identify risk factors for transfusion, and secondarily to investigate the influence of transfusion on clinical outcomes after major emergency abdominal surgery.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

This study combined retrospective observational data including intraoperative, postoperative, and transfusion data in patients undergoing major emergency abdominal surgery from January 2010 to October 2016 at a Danish university hospital. The primary outcome was a transfusion of any kind from initiation of surgery to postoperative day 7. Secondary outcomes included 7-, 30-, 90-day and long-term mortality (median follow-up = 34.6 months, IQR = 13.0-58.3), lengths of stay, and surgical complication rate (Clavien-Dindo score ≥ 3a).

RESULTS

A total of 1288 patients were included and 391 (30%) received a transfusion of any kind. Multivariate logistic regression identified age, hepatic comorbidity, cardiac comorbidity, post-surgical anemia, ADP-receptor inhibitors, acetylsalicylic acid, anticoagulants, and operation type as risk factors for postoperative transfusion. 60.1% of the transfused patients experienced a serious surgical complication within 30 days of surgery compared with 28.1% of the non-transfused patients (p < 0.001). Among patients receiving a postoperative transfusion, unadjusted long-term mortality was increased with a hazard ratio of 3.8 (95% CI 2.9-5.0), p < 0.01. Transfused patients had significantly higher mortality at 7-, 30-, 90- and long-term, as well as a longer hospital stay but in the multivariate analyses, transfusion was not associated with mortality.

CONCLUSION

Peri- and postoperative transfusion in relation to major emergency abdominal surgery was associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications. The potential benefits and harms of blood transfusion and clinical significance of pre- and postoperative anemia after major emergency abdominal surgery should be further studied in clinical prospective studies.

Readmission for venous thromboembolism after emergency general surgery is underreported and influenced by insurance status

BACKGROUND

Prior studies of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after emergency general surgery (EGS) are not nationally representative nor do they fully capture readmissions to different hospitals. We hypothesized that different-hospital readmission accounted for a significant number of readmissions with VTE after EGS and that predictive factors would be different for same- and different-hospital readmissions.

METHODS

The 2014 Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried for nonelective EGS hospitalizations. The outcomes were readmission to the index or different hospitals within 180 days with VTE. Multivariate logistic regressions identified risk factors for readmission to index and different hospitals with VTE, reported as odds ratios with their 95% confidence intervals. Patients were excluded if during the index admission they expired, developed a VTE, had a vena cava filter placed, or did not have at least 180 days of follow-up.

RESULTS

Of 1,584,605 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 1.3% (n = 20,963) of patients were readmitted within 180 days with a VTE. Of these, 28% (n = 5,866) were readmitted to a different hospital. Predictors overall for readmission with VTE were malignancy, prolonged hospitalization, age, and being publicly insured. However, predictors for readmission to a different hospital are based on hospital characteristics, including for-profit status, or procedure type.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly one in three readmissions with VTE after EGS occurs at a different hospital and may be missed by current quality metrics that only capture same-hospital readmission. Such metrics may underestimate for-profit hospital postoperative VTE rates relative to public and nonprofit hospitals, potentially affecting benchmarking and reimbursement. Postdischarge VTE rate is associated with insurance status. These findings have implications for policy and prevention programming design.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Epidemiological study, level III.

Differences Between Center-level Outcomes in Emergency and Elective General Surgery

BACKGROUND

Center-level outcome metrics have long been tracked in elective surgery (ELS). Despite recent interest in measuring emergency general surgery (EGS) quality, centers are often compared based on elective or combined outcomes. Therefore, quality of care for emergency surgery specifically is unknown.

METHODS

We extracted data on EGS and ELS patients from the 2016 State Inpatient Databases of Florida, New York, and Kentucky. Centers that performed >100 ELS and EGS operations were included. Risk-adjusted mortality, complication, and failure to rescue (FTR, death after complication) rates were calculated and observed-to-expected ratios were calculated by center for ELS and EGS patients. Centers were determined to be high or low outliers if the 90% CI for the observed: expected ratio excluded 1. We calculated the frequency with which centers demonstrated a different performance status between EGS and ELS. Kendall's tau values were calculated to assess for correlation between EGS and ELS status.

RESULTS

A total of 204 centers with 45,500 EGS cases and 49,380 ELS cases met inclusion criteria. Overall mortality, complication, and FTR rates were 1.7%, 8.0%, and 14.5% respectively. There was no significant correlation between mortality performance in EGS and ELS, with 36 centers in a different performance category (high outlier, low outlier, as expected) in EGS than in ELS. The correlation for complication rates was 0.20, with 60 centers in different categories for EGS and ELS. For FTR rates, there was no correlation, with 16 centers changing category.

CONCLUSIONS

There was minimal correlation between outcomes for ELS and EGS. High performers in one category were rarely high performers in the other. There may be important differences between the processes of care that are important for EGS and ELS outcomes that may yield meaningful opportunities for quality improvement.

Can the Emergency Surgery Score (ESS) predict outcomes in emergency general surgery patients with missing data elements? A nationwide analysis

BACKGROUND

The Emergency Surgery Score (ESS) is an accurate mortality risk calculator for emergency general surgery (EGS). We sought to assess whether ESS can accurately predict 30-day morbidity, mortality, and requirement for postoperative Intensive Care Unit (ICU) care in patients with missing data variables.

METHODS

All EGS patients with one or more missing ESS variables in the 2007-2015 ACS-NSQIP database were included. ESS was calculated assuming that a missing variable is normal (i.e. no additional ESS points). The correlation between ESS and morbidity, mortality, and postoperative ICU level of care was assessed using the c-statistics methodology.

RESULTS

Out of a total of 4,456,809 patients, 359,849 were EGS, and of those 256,278 (71.2%) patients had at least one ESS variable missing. ESS correlated extremely well with mortality (c-statistic = 0.94) and postoperative requirement of ICU care (c-statistic = 0.91) and well with morbidity (c-statistic = 0.77).

CONCLUSION

ESS performs well in predicting outcomes in EGS patients even when one or more data elements are missing and remains a useful bedside tool for counseling EGS patients and for benchmarking the quality of EGS care.

Delayed discharge after major surgical procedures in Ontario, Canada: a population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Addressing nonmedical reasons for delays in hospital discharge is important for improving the flow of patients through acute care hospital beds. Because this problem is understudied among adult surgical patients, we examined the incidence of and identified factors associated with delayed hospital discharge after major elective and emergency surgical procedures in acute care institutions.

METHODS

Using health administrative data, we retrospectively compared adults with and without delayed discharge after 18 major elective and emergency surgical procedures between 2006 and 2016 in Ontario hospitals. We identified delayed discharge using the alternate level of care code, applied to patients who are medically fit for discharge but remain in an acute care hospital bed. We used hierarchical logistic regression modelling to determine factors associated with delayed discharge.

RESULTS

Our cohort included 595 782 patients who underwent elective procedures and 180 478 who underwent emergency procedures. Delayed discharge accounted for 635 607 hospital days, of which 81.7% were related to admissions for emergency surgery. Delayed discharge affected 3.1% of patients who underwent elective surgery and 19.6% of those who underwent emergency procedures. Days attributed to delayed discharge formed about one-third of patients' total hospital stay for both surgical groups. The rate of delayed discharge across surgical specialties showed high variability (from 0.9% for lung resection or nephrectomy to 9.3% for peripheral arterial disease procedures in the elective surgery group, and from 3.8% for cardiac procedures to 33.8% for peripheral arterial disease procedures in the emergency surgery group). Risk factors for delayed discharge were older age, female sex, chronic disease burden and increasing hospital size.

INTERPRETATION

Delayed discharge for nonmedical reasons was more common after emergency surgery than after elective surgery, and rates varied across surgery type. Optimizing early discharge planning, evaluating the variation in delayed discharge at the hospital level and improving local access to community care services could be next steps to addressing this problem.

Feasibility of Enhanced Recovery in Emergency Colorectal Operation

BACKGROUND

Emergency colorectal operations account for considerable surgical morbidity, leading to increased recognition of the importance of standardized care. Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) have successfully provided a framework to standardize elective surgical care, with some ERP elements spreading to emergency procedures. This study aims to characterize the degree of spread and demonstrate feasibility of ERP extension to emergency colorectal operations.

STUDY DESIGN

Patients undergoing colorectal operations were identified from a national ERP collaborative. Adherence to ERP process measures-multimodal pain control, early Foley removal, postoperative venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, early mobilization, early feeding, and 30-day clinical outcomes-was analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate association between process measure adherence and 30-day clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 31,511 patients underwent colorectal operations at 235 hospitals; 3,086 were emergencies and 28,425 were elective. For emergency cases, rates of early Foley removal (92.0%) and venous thromboembolism prophylaxis (75.7%) were highest. Rates of multimodal pain control (55.9%), early mobilization (37.1%), and early liquid intake (33.4%) were modest. Nonadherence was more common in patients younger than 65 years (43.4%), with independent functional status (94%), American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification 1 to 3 (62.5%), and without physiologic derangement (39.9%). Lack of mobilization or liquid intake was independently associated with increased odds of ileus (odds ratio [OR] 1.43; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.75 and OR 2.41; 95% CI, 1.96 to 2.95) and prolonged length of stay (OR 2.29; 95% CI, 1.85 to 2.83 and OR 2.05; 95% CI, 1.70 to 2.47).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the unplanned nature of emergency colorectal operations historically excluded patients from ERPs, our findings suggest ERPs have observable diffusion beyond elective surgical procedures. Deliberate implementation with adherence auditing can improve ERP uptake and outcomes in emergency colorectal operations.

Perioperative factors associated with postoperative morbidity after emergency laparotomy: a retrospective analysis in a university teaching hospital

Emergency Laparotomy (EL) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Variation in practice and patient outcomes for patients undergoing emergency laparotomy has been identified through the UK National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA), with 30-day mortality ranging from 11 to 15%. A correlation between preoperative haemodynamic parameters and increased postoperative mortality has been demonstrated by both NELA and other observational studies. The association between intraoperative haemodynamic parameters and overall postoperative morbidity has not been evaluated in EL patients. The aims of our study were to investigate the association between perioperative haemodynamic and logistic parameters and postoperative morbidity in a tertiary referral university hospital; and to compare our outcomes to that of the NELA data. A retrospective analysis correlating a range of perioperative parameters with Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI) among 86 patients who underwent EL during 2018 was conducted. Mean age was 64 years (SD 16). Median CCI was 27 [9-45], and 30-day mortality was 11.7%. Several intraoperative parameters correlated with CCI on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, ASA status (P = 0.005) and unplanned escalation to postoperative intensive care (P = 0.03) were independently associated with CCI. Our study shows a correlation between ASA status and unplanned escalation to ITU with increased postoperative morbidity in patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. We did not demonstrate an independent correlation between intraoperative parameters and postoperative morbidity. These findings warrant confirmation in a larger scale observational study. Outcomes in our institution are comparable to those seen in the NELA.

The effect of advanced recovery room care on postoperative outcomes in moderate-risk surgical patients: a multicentre feasibility study

Postoperative complications are common and may be under-recognised. It has been suggested that enhanced postoperative care in the recovery room may reduce in-hospital complications in moderate- and high-risk surgical patients. We investigated the feasibility of providing advanced recovery room care for 12-18 h postoperatively in the post-anaesthesia care unit. The primary hypothesis was that a clinical trial of advanced recovery room care was feasible. The secondary hypothesis was that this model may have a sustained impact on postoperative in-hospital and post-discharge events. This was a multicentre, prospective, feasibility before-and-after trial of moderate-risk patients (predicted 30-day mortality of 1-4%) undergoing non-cardiac surgery and who were scheduled for postoperative ward care. Patients were managed using defined assessment checklists and goals of care in an advanced recovery room care setting in the immediate postoperative period. This utilised existing post-anaesthesia care unit infrastructure and staffing, but extended care until the morning of the first postoperative day. The advanced recovery room care trial was deemed feasible, as defined by the recruitment and per protocol management of > 120 patients. However, in a specialised cancer centre, recruitment was slow due to low rates of eligibility according to narrow inclusion criteria. At a rural site, advanced recovery room care could not be commenced due to logistical issues in establishing a new model of care. A definitive randomised controlled trial of advanced recovery room care appears feasible and, based on the indicative data on outcomes, we believe this is warranted.

Creation and implementation of a novel clinical workflow based on the AAST uniform anatomic severity grading system for emergency general surgery conditions

Objective

Emergency general surgery (EGS) conditions encompass a variety of diseases treated by acute care surgeons. The heterogeneity of these diseases limits infrastructure to facilitate EGS-specific quality improvement (QI) and research. A uniform anatomic severity grading system for EGS conditions was recently developed to fill this need. We integrated this system into our clinical workflow and examined its impact on research, surgical training, communication, and patient care.

Methods

The grading system was integrated into our clinical workflow in a phased fashion through formal education and a written handbook. A documentation template was also deployed in our electronic medical record to prospectively assign severity scores at the time of patient evaluation. Mixed methods including a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews of trainees and attending surgeons were used to evaluate the impact of the new workflow and to identify obstacles to its adoption.

Results

We identified 2291 patients presenting with EGS conditions during our study period. The most common diagnoses were small bowel obstruction (n=470, 20.5%), acute cholecystitis (n=384, 16.8%), and appendicitis (n=370, 16.1%). A total of 21 qualitative interviews were conducted. Twenty interviewees (95.2%) had a positive impression of the clinical workflow, citing enhanced patient care and research opportunities. Fifteen interviewees (75.0%) reported the severity grading system was a useful framework for clinical management, with five participants (25.0%) indicating the system was useful to facilitate clinical communication. Participants identified solutions to overcome barriers to adoption of the clinical workflow.

Conclusions

The uniform anatomic severity grading system can be readily integrated into a clinical workflow to facilitate prospective data collection for QI and research. The system is perceived as valuable by users. Educational initiatives that focus on increasing familiarity with the system and its benefits will likely improve adoption of the classification system and the clinical workflow that uses it.

Level of evidence

Level III.

Documentation of individualized preoperative risk assessment: a multi-center study

Background

Individual surgical risk assessment (ISRA) enhances patient care experience and outcomes by informing shared decision-making, strengthening the consent process, and supporting clinical management. Neither the use of individual pre-surgical risk assessment tools nor the rate of individual risk assessment documentation is known. The primary endpoint of this study was to determine the rate of physician documented ISRAs, with or without a named ISRA tool, within the records of patients with poor outcomes. Secondary endpoints of this work included the effects of age, sex, race, ASA class, and time and type of surgery on the rate of documented presurgical risk.

Methods

The records of non-obstetric surgical patients within 22 community-based private hospitals in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, and Wyoming, between January 1 and December 31, 2017, were evaluated. A two-sample proportion test was used to identify the difference between surgical documentation and anesthesiology documentation of risk. Logistic regression was used to analyze both individual and group effects associated with secondary endpoints.

Results

Seven hundred fifty-six of 140,756 inpatient charts met inclusion criteria (0.54%, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.58%). ISRAs were documented by 16.08% of surgeons and 4.76% of anesthesiologists (p < 0.0001, 95% CI −0.002 to 0.228). Cardiac surgeons documented ISRAs more frequently than non-cardiac surgeons (25.87% vs 16.15%) [p = 0.0086, R-squared = 0.970%]. Elective surgical patients were more likely than emergency surgical patients (19.57 vs 12.03%) to have risk documented (p = 0.023, R-squared = 0.730%). Patients over the age of 65 were more likely than patients under the age of 65 to have ISRA documentation (20.31 vs 14.61%) [p = 0.043, R-squared = 0.580%]. Only 10 of 756 (1.3%) records included documentation of a named ISRA tool.

Conclusions

The observed rate of documented ISRA in our sample was extremely low. Surgeons were more likely than anesthesiologists to document ISRA. As these individualized risk assessment discussions form the bedrock of perioperative informed consent, the rate and quality of risk documentation must be improved.

Magnitude and Pattern of Inpatient Surgical Mortality in a Tertiary Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background

Inpatient mortality is among regularly collected data in Key performance indicators in the Ethiopian healthcare system, and it is generally reported to the Federal Ministry of Health and is used as one of inpatient services quality indicators. This study was undertaken to identify the magnitude, causes and pattern of mortalities among patients who are admitted and treated in surgical wards in Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College for a period of three years.

Methods

A retrospective review was done on all patients admitted and died in the Department of Surgery in St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College from January 1, 2016–Dec 30, 2018.

Result

There were 10,259 admissions over three years and out of which there were 350 deaths between 2016–2018 making a crude mortality rate of 3.41 %. The commonest mode of admission was for emergency conditions, 195(62.7%). Out of emergency admissions, 139 mortalities were from general emergency surgery and 75 patients died from elective general surgery admissions. Eighty-four (26.9%) patients had comorbidity and the commonest comorbidity was anemia 21(25%). The commonest possible cause of death was multi-organ failure secondary to septic shock, 159(51%). Mortality rate patterns along the three years (2016, 2017, 2018) showed 3.34% (112/3360), 2.87% (102/3552) and 2.92% (98/3347) respectively.

Conclusion

The mortality rate of this study is much higher than global rates, but still there is a significant difference from other developing countries and also other researches in this country. Pattern of mortality did not show any difference across years of the study period.

Geriatric Events among Older Adults Undergoing Nonelective Surgery are Associated with Poor Outcomes

Older adults undergoing nonelective surgery are at risk for geriatric events (GEs: delirium, dehydration, falls/fractures, failure to thrive, and pressure ulcers), but the impact of GEs on postoperative outcomes is unclear. Using the 2013 to 2014 National Inpatient Sample, we analyzed nonelective hospital admissions for five common operations (laparoscopic cholecystectomy, colectomy, soft tissue debridement, small bowel resection, and laparoscopic appendectomy) in older adults (aged ≥65 years) and a younger referent group (aged 55–64 years). Nationally weighted descriptive statistics were generated for GEs. Logistic regression controlling for patient, procedure, and hospital characteristics estimated the association of 1) age with GEs and 2) GEs with outcomes. Of 471,325 overall admissions, 64.7 per cent were aged ≥65 years. The rate of any GE in older adults was 26.9 per cent; GEs varied by age and procedure ( P < 0.001). After adjustment, the probability of any GE increased with age category ( P < 0.001); having any GE was associated with higher probability of all outcomes ( P < 0.001): mortality (4.5% vs 0.8%), postoperative complications (61.7% vs 24.9%), prolonged length of stay (24.3% vs 7.9%), and skilled nursing facility discharge (46.6% vs 10.3%). In addition, there was a dose–response relationship between GEs and negative outcomes. GEs are prevalent in the nonelective surgery setting and associated with worse clinical outcomes. Quality improvement efforts should focus on addressing GEs.

Symptomatic human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients have poorer outcomes following emergency general surgery: A study of the nationwide inpatient sample

BACKGROUND

The impact of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection on outcomes following common emergency general surgery procedures has not been evaluated since the widespread introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Records of patients who underwent laparoscopic or open appendectomy, cholecystectomy, or colon resection after emergency admission from 2004 to 2011 were obtained. Outcomes analyzed included in-hospital mortality, length of stay, total charges, and selected postoperative complications. Patients were divided among three groups, HIV-negative controls, asymptomatic HIV-positive patients, and symptomatic HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Data were analyzed using χ and multivariable regression with propensity score matching among the three groups, with p value less than 0.05 significant.

RESULTS

There were 974,588 patients identified, of which 1,489 were HIV-positive and 1,633 were HIV/AIDS-positive. The HIV/AIDS patients were more likely to die during their hospital stay than HIV-negative patients (4.4% vs. 1.6%, adjusted odds ratio, 3.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.67-4.07; p < 0.001). The HIV/AIDS patients had longer hospital stays (7 days vs. 3 days; adjusted difference, 3.66 days; 95% CI, 3.53-4.00; p < 0.001) and higher median total charges than HIV-negative patients (US $47,714 vs. US $28,405; adjusted difference, US $15,264; 95% CI, US $13,905-US $16,623; p < 0.001). The HIV/AIDS patients also had significantly increased odds of certain postoperative complications, including sepsis, septic shock, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, acute renal failure and need for transfusion (p < 0.05 for each). Differences persisted irrespective of case complexity and over the study period. Asymptomatic HIV-positive patients had outcomes similar to HIV-negative patients.

CONCLUSION

The HIV/AIDS patients have a greater risk of death, infectious, and noninfectious complications after emergency surgery regardless of operative complexity and despite advanced highly active antiretroviral therapy. Patients who have not developed advanced disease, however, have similar outcomes to HIV-negative patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic and epidemiologic study, level III.

How will increasing surgical volume affect mortality in the Pacific, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste?

BACKGROUND

Nine South Pacific nations, Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste, have collaborated to report and publish their surgical metrics as recommended by the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS). Currently, these countries experience about 750 postoperative deaths per year, representing 1% of crude mortality in the region. Given that more than 400 000 annual procedures are needed in the nine nations to reach the LCoGS target of 5000/100 000, we aimed to calculate the potential contribution of perioperative mortality to national mortality where these procedures are performed.

METHODS

We utilized reported surgical metrics with current rates for surgical volume (SV) and perioperative mortality (POMR), as well as World Bank/WHO mortality statistics, to predict the likely impact of surgical scale-up to recommended targets by 2030. We tested correlations between SV and POMR in countries from our region using Pearson's r statistic. Funnel plots were used to evaluate the dataset for outliers.

RESULTS

Surgical scale up would result in perioperative mortality contributing on average to 3.3% of all national crude mortality. This prediction assumes POMR stays the same, which is challenging to predict. In our region countries that achieved the LCoGS target (n = 5) had a lower POMR than countries that did not (n = 8).

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical volumes in the South Pacific region must increase to meet the LCoGS target. Postoperative mortality as a proportion of all mortality may increase with the surgical scale up, however, the overall number of premature deaths is expected to reduce with better access to timely and safe surgical care.

A Ward-Round Non-Technical Skills for Surgery (WANTSS) Taxonomy

BACKGROUND

Around half of surgical adverse events occur outside the operating room. However the majority of nontechnical skills (NTS) training programs have been developed for the intraoperative environment. Ward rounds are a crucial part of extraoperative care and to date no specific NTS training manual has been developed targeting emergency general surgical ward rounds.

AIM

To develop a NTS taxonomy for emergency general surgical ward rounds that can be used to improve surgical team members' NTS and improve outcomes.

METHODS

A literature review of existing NTS taxonomies was conducted, followed by semistructured interviews and observational data collection, to determine good and poor surgical ward-round behaviors. These behaviors were reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts and categorized into a taxonomy, using the Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons taxonomy framework as a guide.

RESULTS

The Ward-round Non-Technical Skills for Surgery taxonomy includes examples of good and poor ward-round-specific behaviors, grouped into elements and categories. The taxonomy can be used as both a training and teaching manual for the surgical team.

CONCLUSION

Ward rounds are a crucial part of extraoperative surgical care. The Ward-round Non-Technical Skills for Surgery taxonomy provides surgical teams with a manual to help them improve their ward-round NTS.

Association between operating room access and mortality for life-threatening general surgery emergencies

BACKGROUND

Few diseases truly require emergency surgery today. We investigated the relationship between access to operating room (OR) and outcomes for patients with life-threatening emergency general surgery (LT-EGS) diseases at US hospitals.

METHODS

In 2015, we surveyed 2,811 US hospitals on EGS practices, including how OR access is assured (e.g., OR staffing, block time). There were 1,690 (60%) hospitals that responded. We anonymously linked survey data to 2015 Statewide Inpatient Sample data (17 states) using American Hospital Association identifiers. Adults admitted with life-threatening diagnoses (e.g., necrotizing fasciitis, perforated viscus) who underwent operative intervention the same calendar day as hospital admission were included. Primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Univariate and multivariable regression analyses, clustered by treating hospital and adjusted for patient factors, were performed to examine hospital-level OR access variables.

RESULTS

Overall, 3,620 patients were admitted with LT-EGS diseases. The median age was 63 years (interquartile range, 51-75), with half having three or more comorbidities (50%). Thirty-four percent had one or more major systemic complication, and 5% died. The majority got care at hospitals with less than 1 day of EGS block time but with policies to ensure emergency access to the OR. After adjusting for age, sex, race, insurance status, comorbidities, systemic complications, and surgical complications, we found that less presence of an in-house EGS surgeon, compared with around the clock, was associated with increased mortality (rarely/never in-house surgeon: odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI],1.1-5.3; sometimes in-house surgeon: odds ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3). In addition, after controlling for other factors, on-call overnight recovery room nurse, compared with in-house, was associated with an increased mortality (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.5-3.1).

CONCLUSION

Round-the-clock availability of personnel, specifically emergency general surgeons and recovery room nurses, is associated with decreased mortality. These findings have implications for the creation of EGS patient triage criteria and Acute Care Surgery Centers of Excellence.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, level III.

'We are all serving the same Ugandans': A nationwide mixed-methods evaluation of private sector surgical capacity in Uganda

Introduction

Half of all Ugandans (49%) turn to the private or private-not-for-profit (PNFP) sectors when faced with illness, yet little is known about the capacity of these sectors to deliver surgical services. We partnered with the Ministry of Health to conduct a nationwide mixed-methods evaluation of private and PNFP surgical capacity in Uganda.

Methods

A standardized validated facility assessment tool was utilized to assess facility infrastructure, service delivery, workforce, information management, and financing at a randomized nationally representative sample of 16 private and PNFP hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to qualitatively explore facilitating factors and barriers to surgical, obstetric and anaesthesia (SOA) care. Hospitals walk-throughs and retrospective reviews of operative logbooks were completed.

Results

Hospitals had a median of 177 beds and two operating rooms. Ten hospitals (62.5%) were able to perform all Bellwether procedures (cesarean section, laparotomy and open fracture treatment). Thirty-day surgical volume averaged 102 cases per facility. While most hospitals had electricity, oxygen, running water, and necessary equipment, many reported pervasive shortages of blood, surgical consumables, and anesthetic drugs. Several themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: (1) geographic distance and limited transportation options delay reaching care; (2) workforce shortages impede the delivery of surgical care; (3) emergency and obstetric volume overwhelm the surgical system; (4) medical and non-medical costs delay seeking, reaching, and receiving care; and (5) there is poor coordination of care with insufficient support systems.

Conclusion

As in Uganda’s public sector, barriers to surgery in private and PNFP hospitals in Uganda are cross-cutting and closely tied to resource availability. Critical policy and programmatic developments are essential to build and strengthen Ugandan surgical capacity across all sectors.

Not a Routine Case, Why Expect the Routine Outcome? Quantifying the Infectious Burden of Emergency General Surgery Using the NSQIP

Emergent surgeries have different causes and physiologic patient responses than the same elective surgery, many of which are due to infectious etiologies. Therefore, we hypothesized that emergency cases have a higher risk of postoperative SSI than their elective counterparts. The ACS NSQIP database was queried from 2005 to 2016 for all cholecystectomies, ventral hernia repairs, and partial colectomies to examine common emergency and elective general surgery operations. Thirty-day outcomes were compared by emergent status. Any SSI was the primary outcome. There were 863,164 surgeries: 416,497 cholecystectomies, 220,815 ventral hernia repairs, and 225,852 partial colectomies. SSIs developed in 38,865 (4.5%) patients. SSIs increased with emergencies (5.3% vs 3.6% for any SSI). Postoperative sepsis (5.8% vs 1.5%), septic shock (4.7% vs 0.6%), length of stay (8.1 vs 2.9 days), and mortality (3.6% vs 0.4%) were increased in emergent surgery; P < 0.001 for all. When controlling for age, gender, BMI, diabetes, smoking, wound classification, comorbidities, functional status, and procedure on multivariate analysis, emergency surgery (odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.11–1.19) was independently associated with the development of SSI. Patients undergoing emergency general surgery experience increased rates of SSI. Patients and their families should be appropriately counseled regarding these elevated risks when consenting for emergency surgery.