BACKGROUND: Working hour limitations and tight health care budgets have posed significant challenges to emergency surgical services. Since 1 January 2010, surgical interventions at Berne University Hospital between 23:00 and 08:00 h have been restricted to patients with an expected serious adverse outcome if not operated on within 6 h. This study was designed to assess the safety of this new policy that restricts nighttime appendectomies (AEs). METHODS: The patients that underwent AE from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011 ("2010-2011 group") were compared retrospectively with patients that underwent AE before introduction of the new policy (1 January 2006-31 December 2009; "2006-2009 group"). RESULTS: Overall, 390 patients were analyzed. There were 255 patients in the 2006-2009 group and 135 patients in the 2010-2011 group. Patients' demographics did not differ statistically between the two study groups; however, 45.9 % of the 2006-2009 group and 18.5 % of the 2010-2011 group were operated between 23:00 and 08:00 h (p < 0.001). The rates of appendiceal perforations and surgical site infections did not differ statistically between the 2006-2009 group and the 2010-2011 group (20 vs. 18.5 %, p = 0.725 and 2 vs. 0 %, p = 0.102). Additionally, no difference was found for the hospital length of stay (3.9 ± 7.4 vs. 3.4 ± 6.0 days, p = 0.586). However, the proportion of patients with an in-hospital delay of >12 h was significantly greater in the 2010-2011 group than in the 2006-2009 group [55.6 vs. 43.5 %, p = 0.024, odds ratio (95 % confidence interval 1.62 (1.1-2.47)]. CONCLUSIONS: Restricting AEs from 23:00 to 08:00 h does not increase the perforation rates and occurrence of clinical outcomes. Therefore, these results suggest that appendicitis may be managed safely in a semielective manner.
BACKGROUND: Working hour limitations and tight health care budgets have posed significant challenges to emergency surgical services. Since 1 January 2010, surgical interventions at Berne University Hospital between 23:00 and 08:00 h have been restricted to patients with an expected serious adverse outcome if not operated on within 6 h. This study was designed to assess the safety of this new policy that restricts nighttime appendectomies (AEs). METHODS: The patients that underwent AE from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011 ("2010-2011 group") were compared retrospectively with patients that underwent AE before introduction of the new policy (1 January 2006-31 December 2009; "2006-2009 group"). RESULTS: Overall, 390 patients were analyzed. There were 255 patients in the 2006-2009 group and 135 patients in the 2010-2011 group. Patients' demographics did not differ statistically between the two study groups; however, 45.9 % of the 2006-2009 group and 18.5 % of the 2010-2011 group were operated between 23:00 and 08:00 h (p < 0.001). The rates of appendiceal perforations and surgical site infections did not differ statistically between the 2006-2009 group and the 2010-2011 group (20 vs. 18.5 %, p = 0.725 and 2 vs. 0 %, p = 0.102). Additionally, no difference was found for the hospital length of stay (3.9 ± 7.4 vs. 3.4 ± 6.0 days, p = 0.586). However, the proportion of patients with an in-hospital delay of >12 h was significantly greater in the 2010-2011 group than in the 2006-2009 group [55.6 vs. 43.5 %, p = 0.024, odds ratio (95 % confidence interval 1.62 (1.1-2.47)]. CONCLUSIONS: Restricting AEs from 23:00 to 08:00 h does not increase the perforation rates and occurrence of clinical outcomes. Therefore, these results suggest that appendicitis may be managed safely in a semielective manner.
Authors: Angela M Ingraham; Mark E Cohen; Karl Y Bilimoria; Clifford Y Ko; Bruce L Hall; Thomas R Russell; Avery B Nathens Journal: Arch Surg Date: 2010-09
Authors: Dani Yardeni; Ronald B Hirschl; Robert A Drongowski; Daniel H Teitelbaum; James D Geiger; Arnold G Coran Journal: J Pediatr Surg Date: 2004-03 Impact factor: 2.545
Authors: C U Ndegbu; O Olasehinde; A Sharma; O A Arowolo; A O Adisa; O I Alatise; A R K Adesunkanmi; O O Lawal Journal: World J Surg Date: 2019-12 Impact factor: 3.352