EP.FRI.752 Delay to Surgery in Acute Perforated and Ischaemic Gastrointestinal Pathology – A Systematic Review

Abstract

Abstract Aims Patients with acute abdominal pathology requiring emergency laparotomy who experience a delay to theatre have an increased risk of morbidity, mortality and complications. The timeline between symptom onset and operation is ill-defined with international variance in assessment and management. This systematic review aims to define where delays to surgery occur and assess the evidence for previous interventions. Methods A systematic review was performed searching MEDLINE and EMBASE databases (January 1st 2005 to May 6th 2020). All studies assessing the impact of time to theatre in patients with acute abdominal pathology requiring emergency laparotomy were considered. Results 17 studies were included in the final analysis. 15 unique timepoints were identified in the patient pathway between symptom onset and operation which could be classified into four distinct phases. Time from admission to theatre (1 to 72 hours), and mortality rate (10.6-74.5%) varied greatly between studies. Mean time to surgery was significantly higher in deceased patients compared to survivors. Delays were related to imaging, diagnosis, decision-making, theatre availability and staffing. Four of five interventional studies showed a reduced mortality following introduction of an acute laparotomy pathway. Conclusions There is wide variation in the definition and measurement of time delays prior to emergency surgery with few studies exploring interventions. Given the heterogenous nature of the patient population and pathologies, an assessment and management framework from onset of symptoms to operation is proposed. This could be incorporated into national mortality prediction and audit tools and assist in the assessment of interventions.