PURPOSE: The study aimed to compare paediatric appendicectomy practice in a specialist paediatric centre (SPC) with a district general hospital (DGH). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of children younger than 16 years treated between January 1, 2005, and September 30, 2007. RESULTS: Two hundred seven patients (SPC) and 264 (DGH) had an operation for suspected appendicitis. Thirty-one percent of SPC patients were female vs 41% in the DGH (P = .03). Median age (range) was 10.3 years (1.2-15.9 years) in the SPC and 11.8 (3.3-16.0 years) in the DGH (P < or = .0001). The negative appendicectomy rate was 4% at the SPC and 20% at the DGH (P < or = .0001). Perforated appendicitis was found in 37% of children at the SPC compared with only 18% at the DGH (P < or = .0001). Median (range) length of stay was 5 days at the SPC (1-21 days) compared with 2 days at the DGH (1-21 days) (P < or = .0001). CONCLUSION: Our findings have important implications for local practice in our 2 centres but may also have wider implications for the national organisation of the surgical care of children and for the training of general surgeons.
PURPOSE: The study aimed to compare paediatric appendicectomy practice in a specialist paediatric centre (SPC) with a district general hospital (DGH). METHODS: This was a retrospective study of children younger than 16 years treated between January 1, 2005, and September 30, 2007. RESULTS: Two hundred seven patients (SPC) and 264 (DGH) had an operation for suspected appendicitis. Thirty-one percent of SPC patients were female vs 41% in the DGH (P = .03). Median age (range) was 10.3 years (1.2-15.9 years) in the SPC and 11.8 (3.3-16.0 years) in the DGH (P < or = .0001). The negative appendicectomy rate was 4% at the SPC and 20% at the DGH (P < or = .0001). Perforated appendicitis was found in 37% of children at the SPC compared with only 18% at the DGH (P < or = .0001). Median (range) length of stay was 5 days at the SPC (1-21 days) compared with 2 days at the DGH (1-21 days) (P < or = .0001). CONCLUSION: Our findings have important implications for local practice in our 2 centres but may also have wider implications for the national organisation of the surgical care of children and for the training of general surgeons.
Authors: Donagh A Healy; Dominic Doyle; Elvin Moynagh; Michael Maguire; Iftikhar Ahmed; Ahmed S Ahmed; Martin Caldwell; Tim O'Hanrahan; Stewart R Walsh Journal: Medicine (Baltimore) Date: 2015-08 Impact factor: 1.817