Research article

Alteration in emergency theatre prioritisation does not alter outcome for acute appendicitis: comparative cohort study

Stefano Partelli , Sabina Beg , Juliette Brown , Soumil Vyas and Hemant M Kocher

Barts and the London HPB Centre, The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, London E1 1BB, UK

author email corresponding author email

World Journal of Emergency Surgery 2009, 4:22doi:10.1186/1749-7922-4-22

Published:	8 June 2009

Abstract

Background

Despite dedicated emergency theatre, emergency surgery can be often delayed due to competing urgencies, suggesting a need for innovative theatre time management.

Aim

To investigate if a change in the emergency theatre prioritisation affects outcomes for a common urgent operation such as appendicectomy.

Methods

We prospectively recorded data from 67 patients undergoing appendicectomy, for two cohorts of patients: before and after change in theatre prioritisation: Group 1 (Jan-Mar) and 2 (Aug-Oct) respectively. Demographic and peri-operative data, time from admission to surgery, postoperative length of stay and total length of stay and complications were compared.

Results

The two groups were comparable with regards to gender, age, time of admission and histological confirmation of appendicitis. No differences between the two groups were found regarding time from admission to surgery (24.4 (95% CI 11.2;27.6) hours versus 16.1 (95% CI 10.4;21.7) hours, Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.35), postoperative length of stay (90.8 (95% CI 61.4;120.1) hours versus 70 (95% CI 48.3;91.6) hours, Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.25) and total length of stay (115.2 (95% CI 84.6;145.7) hours versus 86 (95% CI 61.6;110.4) hours, Mann-Whitney U test, p = 0.07) as well as complication or re-admission rates.

Conclusion

A change in the emergency theatre prioritisation does not affect outcome for appendicectomy. Provision of a second emergency theatre could be a solution to reduce the delays in acute surgical operations.