Delays to Surgery in Emergency Department Cases of Ectopic Pregnancy: A Quality Improvement Study

Abstract

ObjectiveCreate a process map for emergency department (ED) presentations of surgical ectopic pregnancy, and identify areas of management amenable to quality improvement. MethodsA retrospective chart review of all patients undergoing surgical management of ectopic pregnancy at a large, urban, academic tertiary care centre from 2015 to 2017 was performed. ResultsSeventy-three patients were included. There were 6 (8.2%) unstable A cases (recommended time to operating room [OR] 0–2 hours), 23 (31.5%) stable A cases, and 44 (60%) B cases (recommended time to OR 2–8 hours). The percent of patients who were in the OR within the recommended time window were 6 (100%) for unstable A cases, 13 (56%) stable A cases, and 29 (65.9%) stable B cases, respectively (P = 0.139). Notable time delays include the time from gynaecology referral to the time seen by gynaecology (29.7% of total wait time for stable A cases from ED to OR) and the time the OR was booked to the time the patient was brought to the OR (53.2% of total wait time for stable B cases). Of the patients seen by physician at the emergency department first, the time from triage to the OR was significantly shorter for patients that received bedside ultrasound only (0.67 ± 0.5 hours vs. 2.1 ± 1.8 hours [P = 0.007]). ConclusionThis is the first study to map the ED presentation of surgical ectopic pregnancy. The management of ectopic pregnancy would benefit from the development of surgical triage decision aids, a surgical care pathway, and increased use of screening bedside ultrasound.