Patients Undergoing Emergency General Surgery Research Articles

Clinical and financial impact of chronic kidney disease in emergency general surgery operations

IntroductionChronic kidney disease is frequently encountered in clinical practice and often requires more intricate management strategies. However, its impact on outcomes of patients warranting emergency general surgery has not been well characterized. The present study examined the association of chronic kidney disease stage on in-hospital outcomes and readmission following emergency general surgery using a nationally representative cohort. MethodsThe 2016–2018 Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried to identify all adult hospitalizations for 1 of 6 common emergency general surgery operations. Patients were stratified by severity of chronic kidney disease into stages 1–3, stages 4–5, end-stage renal disease, and others (non–chronic kidney disease). Regression models were used to examine factors associated with mortality, readmissions, and costs. ResultsOf an estimated 985,101 patients undergoing emergency general surgery, 60,949 (6.2%) had a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (1–3: 67.1%, 4–5: 11.5%, end-stage renal disease: 23.4%). Unadjusted rates of mortality increased with chronic kidney disease in a stepwise manner (2.1% in non–chronic kidney disease to 16.9 in end-stage renal disease, P < .001), as did 90-day readmissions (9.2% to 29.7%, respectively, P < .001). After adjustment, all stages of chronic kidney disease exhibited increases in risk-adjusted rates of mortality (range: 0.2% in chronic kidney disease 1–3 to 12.2% in end-stage renal disease, P < .001). Relative to non–chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease had the greatest cost burden for those undergoing small bowel resection (β +$83,600) and the least in cholecystectomy (+$30,400). ConclusionChronic kidney disease severity is associated with a stepwise increase in mortality, hospitalization costs, and 90-day readmissions. Our findings may better inform shared decision-making and have implications in benchmarking. Further studies for optimal management strategies in this high-risk group are needed.

Derivation and external validation of a 30-day mortality risk prediction model for older patients having emergency general surgery

BackgroundOlder people (≥65 yr) are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality after emergency general surgery. Risk prediction models are needed to guide decision making in this high-risk population. Existing models have substantial limitations and lack external validation, potentially limiting their applicability in clinical use. We aimed to derive and validate, both internally and externally, a multivariable model to predict 30-day mortality risk in older patients undergoing emergency general surgery. MethodsAfter protocol publication, we used the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database (2012–6; estimated to contain 90% data from the USA and 10% from Canada) to derive and internally validate a model to predict 30-day mortality for older people having emergency general surgery using logistic regression with elastic net regularisation. Internal validation was done with 10-fold cross-validation. External validation was done using a temporally separate health administrative database exclusively from Ontario, Canada. ResultsOverall, 6012 (12.0%) of the 50 221 patients died within 30 days. The model demonstrated strong discrimination (area under the curve [AUC]=0.871) and calibration across the spectrum of observed and predicted risks. Ten-fold internal cross-validation demonstrated minimal optimism (AUC=0.851, optimism 0.019 [standard deviation=0.06]) with excellent calibration. External validation demonstrated lower discrimination (AUC=0.700) and degraded calibration. ConclusionA multivariable mortality risk prediction model was strongly discriminative and well calibrated internally. However, poor external validation suggests the model may not be generalisable to non-NSQIP data and hospitals. The findings highlight the importance of external validation before clinical application of risk models.

Evaluation of surgical Apgar score as a predictor of postoperative complications in emergency general surgical patients in a Nigerian teaching hospital

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the surgical Apgar score (SAS) to predict post-operative complications at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: This was a retrospective study of adult patients undergoing emergency general surgery procedures. The main end-points were post-operative mortality and surgical site infection (SSI). The ability of the SAS to predict post-operative outcomes was determined using the receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC). Statistical significance was defined by a p value of less than 0.05. Results: The mean SAS was 5.6 ± 1.7 with majority of patients (61.4%, n = 70) being at medium risk (Apgar score 5–7) for post-operative complication. The most common post-operative complication was SSI (47.1%, n = 25) with a 30-day mortality of 9.6%. The ROC curve showed that the SAS is a poor predictor of post-operative complications (Area under the curve [AUC] = 0.408) and mortality (AUC = 0.394). However, there is a statistically significant association between mean SAS and occurrence of post-operative complications (p = 0.026). Conclusion: The SAS does not predict post-operative complications in adult patients undergoing emergency general surgery procedures.

Impact of Venous Thromboembolism on Readmissions and Resource Use Following Emergency General Surgery.

Acute deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism collectively known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), are associated with increased risk of poor clinical sequelae during inpatient hospitalizations. We examined the association of VTE with mortality, readmissions, and costs among patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) operations using a national cohort. Adult hospitalizations for EGS (laparotomy, small bowel resection, large bowel resection, appendectomy, lysis of adhesions, cholecystectomy, and repair of perforated ulcer) within two days of admission were identified in the 2016-18 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Hospitalizations were stratified based on diagnosis of VTE and others (n-VTE). Of an estimated 860,747 EGS patients 7,513, (.87%) developed VTE during the index hospitalization. Patients in the VTE group were on average older (65.5 ± 15.3 vs 54.8 ± 18.6years, P < .001) and more commonly male (46.7 vs 39.3%, P < .001). Venous thromboembolism was independently associated with greater odds of mortality (AOR:1.7 95% CI 1.6-1.9), increased costs (+27,700 95% CI 23,100-28,300) and greater odds of 30-day readmissions (AOR 1.3 95% CI 1.2-1.4). Despite national efforts to reduce its incidence, VTE affects nearly 1/100 EGS patients and is associated with increased odds of mortality as well as costs, and readmissions. Tailored approaches are warranted to reduce the impact of this pernicious complication.

Emergency General Surgery Transfer and Effect on Inpatient Mortality and Post-Discharge Emergency Department Visits: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

Patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) and interhospital transfer (IHT) have increased mortality. Prior analyses of IHT have been limited by the inability to track post-discharge outcomes or have not included nonoperative EGS. We evaluated outcomes for IHT to our tertiary care facility compared with direct admission through the emergency department. Patients admitted directly (2015 to 2017) with a common EGS diagnosis (appendicitis, cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, small bowel obstruction, and diverticulitis) were propensity score matched to patients transferred from another acute care hospital. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed using patient characteristics, EGS diagnosis, comorbidities, and surgical critical care consultation. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality, and secondary outcomes were length of stay (LOS) 30-day hospital readmission. We identified 3,153 directly admitted patients and 1,272 IHT patients. IHT patients were older (mean 59.4 vs 51.5 years), had a higher Charlson comorbidity index (median 3 vs 1), White race (72% vs 49%), and BMI greater than 40 kg/m2 (11.6% vs 9.8%). After PSM, each group included 1,033 patients. IHT patients had a higher median LOS (5.5 days vs 3.8, p < 0.001), higher inpatient mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.69, p = 0.03), and more complications (OR 1.57, p < 0.001). The rate of post-discharge 30-day hospital encounters was similar (OR 1.08, p = 0.460). However, IHT patients had more emergency department encounters (OR 1.35, p = 0.04) and fewer observation-status readmissions (OR 0.53, p = 0.01). After PSM to reduce confounding variables, patients with common EGS diagnoses transferred to a tertiary care facility have increased inpatient morbidity and mortality. The increased morbidity and resource utilization for these patients extends beyond the index hospital stay.

The unequal impact of interhospital transfers on emergency general surgery patients: Procedure risk and time to surgery matter.

The impact of interhospital transfer on outcomes of patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures is incompletely studied. We set out to determine if transfer before definitive surgical care leads to worse outcomes in EGS patients. Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database (2013-2019), a retrospective cohort study was conducted including nine surgical procedures encompassing 80% of the burden of EGS diseases, performed on an urgent/emergent basis. The procedures were classified as low risk (open and laparoscopic appendectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy) and high risk (open cholecystectomy, laparoscopic and open colectomy, lysis of adhesions, perforated ulcer repair, small bowel resection, and exploratory laparotomy). Time to surgery was recorded in days. The impact of interhospital transfer on outcomes (mortality, major complications, 30-day reoperations, and 30-day readmissions) and length of stay, according to procedure risk and time to surgery, were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and inverse probability treatment of the weighting with treatment effect in the treated. A total of 329,613 patients were included in the study (284,783 direct admission and 44,830 transfers). Adjusted mortality (3.1% vs. 10.4%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.28; p < 0.001), major complications (6.7% vs. 18.9%; AOR, 1.39; p < 0.001), 30-day reoperations (3.1% vs. 6.4%; AOR, 1.22; p < 0.001), and length of stay (2 vs. 5) were higher in transferred patients. Transfer had no effect on 30-day readmissions (6% vs. 8.5%; AOR, 1.04; p = 0.063). These results were also observed in high-risk surgery patients and in the late surgery group. The results were further confirmed after robust propensity score weighting was performed. We have demonstrated that delays to surgical intervention affect outcomes and that interhospital transfer of EGS patients for definitive surgical care has a negative impact on mortality, development of postoperative complications, and reoperations in patients undergoing high-risk EGS procedures. These findings may have important implications for regionalization of EGS care. Prognostic/epidemiological, level III.

1369 Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Emergency General Surgery During the Covid-19 Pandemic Versus Control Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Introduction Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the surgical community has attempted to address whether it is safe to continue surgery. The aim of this research was to review evidence on emergency general patients operated on during the pandemic compared to patients undergoing emergency surgery during non-pandemic times to determine if operating during the Covid-19 pandemic led to an increased risk of death, length of hospital stay and complications. Method A systematic review of the literature was performed. PubMed, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Science Direct, Springer Link, Elsevier, and reference lists were analysed for inclusion on 2 January 2021. Results Nine studies and 5,022 patients were included. There were no significant differences in the control group vs pandemic group in mean age (52.3yrs vs 51.9yrs, p = 0.67) or gender (44.4% females vs 49.3%, p = 0.173). Pooled analysis of control vs pandemic showed a mortality rate of 1.26% vs 3.06% (CI:-6.58–6.58, p = 1.00). Mean length of hospital stay was 7.9 vs 7.7 days in control v. pandemic (CI: -2.93-3.33, p = 0.87) and post-operative complication rate of 20.2% vs 25.7% (CI -6.4-25.0, p = 0.20), (control vs pandemic). The pandemic group had significantly more operative management (47.0% vs 40.0%, p = 0.03) with no significant difference in laparoscopic vs open technique (46.0% vs 43.6%, p = 0.20). Conclusions This meta-analysis shows there is no statistically significant difference in mortality rate, length of hospital stay and postoperative complication rate between the pandemic and control cohorts in emergency general surgery patients. This data suggests that general emergency surgery should continue in spite of the pandemic with appropriate precautions in place.

Laparoscopy is associated with decreased all-cause mortality in patients undergoing emergency general surgery procedures in a regional health system.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of laparoscopic surgery for common emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures within an integrated Acute Care Surgery (ACS) network. We hypothesized that laparoscopy would be associated with improved outcomes. Our integrated health care system's EGS registry created from AAST EGS ICD-9 codes was queried from January 2013 to October 2015. Procedures were grouped as laparoscopic or open. Standard descriptive and univariate tests were performed, and a multivariable logistic regression controlling for open status, age, BMI, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), trauma tier, and resuscitation diagnosis was performed. Laparoscopic procedures converted to open were identified and analyzed using concurrent procedure billing codes across episodes of care. Of 60,604 EGS patients identified over the 33-month period, 7280 (12.0%) had an operation and 6914 (11.4%) included AAST-defined EGS procedures. There were 4813 (69.6%) surgeries performed laparoscopically. Patients undergoing a laparoscopic procedure tended to be younger (45.7 ± 18.0years vs. 57.2 ± 17.6, p < 0.001) with similar BMI (29.7 ± 9.0kg/m2 vs. 28.8 ± 8.3, p < 0.001). Patients in the laparoscopic group had lower mean CCI score (1.6 ± 2.3 vs. 3.4 ± 3.2, p ≤ 0.0001). On multivariable analysis, open surgery had the highest association with inpatient mortality (OR 8.67, 4.23-17.75, p < 0.0001) and at all time points (30-, 90-day, 1-, 3-year). At all time points, conversion to open was found to be a statistically significant protective factor. Use of laparoscopy in EGS is common and associated with a decreased risk of all-cause mortality at all time points compared to open procedures. Conversion to open was protective at all time points compared to open procedures.

Survival curve identifies critical period for postoperative mortality in cardiac patients undergoing emergency general surgery

The number of non-cardiac major surgeries carried out has significantly increased in recent years to around 200 million procedures carried out annually. Approximately 30% of patients submitted to non-cardiac surgery present some form of cardiovascular comorbidity. In emergency situations, with less surgery planning time and greater clinical severity, the risks become even more significant. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence and clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease submitted to non-cardiac surgical procedures in a single cardiovascular referral center. This is a prospective cohort study of patients with cardiovascular disease submitted to non-cardiovascular surgery. All procedures were carried out by the same surgeon, between January 2006 and January 2018. 240 patients included were elderly, 154 were male (64%), 8 patients presented two diagnoses. Of the resulting 248 procedures carried out, 230 were emergency (92.8%). From the data obtained it was possible to estimate the day from which the occurrence of mortality is less probable in the postoperative phase. Our research evaluated the epidemiological profile of the surgeries and we were able to estimate the survival and delimit the period of greatest risk of mortality in these patients. The high rate of acute mesenteric ischemia was notable, a serious and frequently fatal condition.

Minimal impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the postoperative morbidity and mortality following emergency general surgery procedures: results from a 3-month observational period

Aim The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the delivery of elective, as well as emergency surgery on a world-wide scale. Up to date few studies have actually assessed the impact of COVID-19 on the postoperative morbidity and mortality following emergency gastrointestinal surgery. Herein, we present our relevant experience over a 3-month period of uninterrupted provision of emergency general surgery services in George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, the United Kingdom. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospective institutional database, which included the operation types, paraclinical investigations and postoperative complications of all patients undergoing emergency general surgery operations between March - May 2020. Results The occurrence of a 5% overall respiratory complication rate postoperatively, with 3% infection rate for COVID-19 was found; no patient had unplanned return to intensive care for ventilator support and there was no mortality related to COVID-19 infection. Conclusion When indicated, emergency surgery should not be delayed in favour of expectant/conservative management in fear of COVID-19-related morbidity or mortality risks.

Operative timing is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing emergency general surgery: a multisite study of emergency general services in a single academic network.

Despite the widespread implementation of the acute care surgery (ACS) model, limited access to operating room time represents a barrier to the optimal delivery of emergency general surgery (EGS) care. The objective of this study was to describe the effect of operative timing on outcomes in EGS in a network of teaching hospitals. We conducted a retrospective review of EGS operations performed at 3 teaching hospitals in a single academic network. Time of operation was categorized as daytime (8 am to 5 pm), after hours (5 pm to 11 pm) or overnight (11 pm to 8 am). Time to operation was calculated as the interval from admission to operative start time and categorized as less than 24 hours, 24-72 hours and greater than 72 hours. After we excluded nonindex cases, trauma cases and cases occurring more than 5 days after admission, 1505 EGS cases were included. We found that 39.0% of operations were performed in the daytime, 46.3% after hours and 14.8% overnight. In terms of time to operation, 52.3% of operations were performed within 24 hours of admission, 33.4% in 24-72 hours and 14.3% in more than 72 hours. The overall complication rate was 20.6% (310 patients) and the overall mortality rate was 3.8% (57 patients). After multivariable analysis, time to operation more than 72 hours after admission was independently associated with increased odds of morbidity (odds ratio [OR] 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-2.47), while overnight operating was associated with increased odds of death (OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.29-7.70). Increasing time from admission to operation and overnight operating were associated with greater morbidity and mortality, respectively, for EGS patients. Strategies to provide timely access to the operating room should be considered to optimize care in an ACS model.

Prospective evaluation of preoperative cognitive impairment and postoperative morbidity in geriatric patients undergoing emergency general surgery

BackgroundCognitive impairment (CI) is common in geriatric patients. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and impact of CI on outcomes in geriatric patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS). MethodsWe performed a (2017–2018) prospective analysis of patients (age ≥65y) who underwent EGS. Cognition was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Patients were stratified into: CI (MoCA score<26) and no-CI (MoCA≥26). Outcomes were the prevalence of CI, in-hospital complications, discharged to rehab/skilled nursing facility (SNF), and mortality. ResultsA total of 142 patients were enrolled. Overall prevalence of CI was 20%. Patients with CI had higher rates of complications (OR 1.6 [1.4–1.9]; p = 0.01), and discharge to rehab/SNF (OR 2.2 [2.0–2.5]; p = 0.03). There was no difference in mortality (OR 1.1 [0.6–1.8]; p = 0.24) between the 2 groups. ConclusionOne in five geriatric EGS patients has CI. It is associated with higher complications and adverse discharge. Cognitive assessment should be included in preoperative risk stratification.

No news is good news? Three-year postdischarge mortality of octogenarian and nonagenarian patients following emergency general surgery.

Outcome data on the very elderly patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) are sparse. We sought to examine short- and long-term mortality in the 80 plus years population following EGS. Using our institutional 2008-2018 EGS Database, all the 80 plus years patients undergoing EGS were identified. The data were linked to the Social Security Death Index to determine cumulative mortality rates up to 3 years after discharge. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine predictors of in-hospital and 1-year cumulative mortality. A total of 385 patients were included with a mean age of 84 years; 54% were female. The two most common comorbidities were hypertension (76.1%) and cardiovascular disease (40.5%). The most common procedures performed were colectomy (20.0%), small bowel resection (18.2%), and exploratory laparotomy for other procedures (15.3%; e.g., internal hernia, perforated peptic ulcer). The overall in-hospital mortality was 18.7%. Cumulative mortality rates at 1, 2, and 3 years after discharge were 34.3%, 40.5%, and 43.4%, respectively. The EGS procedure associated with the highest 1-year mortality was colectomy (49.4%). Although hypertension, renal failure, hypoalbuminemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and elevated liver enzymes predicted in-hospital mortality, the only independent predictors of cumulative 1-year mortality were hypoalbuminemia (odds ratio, 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-4.27; p = 0.025) and elevated serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGOT) level (odds ratio, 2.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-4.70; p = 0.029) at initial presentation. Patients with both factors had a cumulative 1-year mortality rate of 75.0%. More than half of the very elderly patients undergoing major EGS were still alive at 3 years postdischarge. The combination of hypoalbuminemia and elevated liver enzymes predicted the highest 1-year mortality. Such information can prove useful for patient and family counseling preoperatively. Prognostic, Level III.

Prospective Evaluation of Delirium in Geriatric Patients Undergoing Emergency General Surgery

The prevalence of delirium and its impact on outcomes after emergency general surgery (EGS) remain unexplored. The aims of our study were to assess the impact of frailty on delirium and the impact of delirium on outcomes in geriatric EGS patients. We performed a 1-year (2017) prospective cohort analysis of all geriatric (age ≥ 65 years) patients who underwent EGS. Frailty was calculated using the Emergency General Surgery-Specific Frailty Index (ESFI). Delirium was assessed using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM). Patients were dichotomized as delirious or non-delirious. We performed regression analysis controlling for demographics, admission vitals, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, comorbidity, and the diagnosis and type of surgery. A total of 163 patients underwent emergency general surgery and were included. Mean age was 71 ± 7 years, and 59% were male. Overall, the incidence of postoperative delirium was 26%. Patients who developed postoperative delirium were more likely to be frail (40% vs 14%, p < 0.01), on more than 3 medications (29% vs 18%, p < 0.01), and were more likely to have 3 or more comorbidities (32% vs 21%, p < 0.01). On regression analysis, frail status (odds ratio [OR] 3.7 [2.4-4.2], p < 0.01) and receiving more than 3 medications (OR 1.3 [range 1.1-1.4], p < 0.01) were independent predictors of developing postoperative delirium. An episode of delirium was associated with longer hospital length of stay (LOS) (6 days vs 3 days, p < 0.01), higher odds of ICU admission (OR 2 [1.3-4.5], p < 0.01), longer ICU LOS (2 days vs 1 day, p < 0.01), and higher odds of unplanned intubation (OR 1.8 [1.2-3.4], p < 0.01). The incidence of delirium after EGS was 26%. Frailty and polypharmacy were associated with increased risk of delirium. Delirium appears to be associated with higher rates of in-hospital adverse events.

The Emergency Surgery Score (ESS) accurately predicts outcomes in elderly patients undergoing emergency general surgery

BackgroundThe performance of the Emergency Surgery Score (ESS), a validated risk calculator, in the elderly emergency general surgery (EGS) patient remains unclear. We hypothesized that ESS accurately predicts outcomes in elderly EGS patients, including octogenarians and nonagenarians. MethodsUsing the 2007–2017 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, we included all EGS patients ≥65 years old. The correlation between ESS, mortality and morbidity was assessed in the 3 patient cohorts (>65, octogenarians and nonagenarians), using the area under the curve (AUC). ResultsA total of 124,335 patients were included, of which 34,215 (28%) were octogenarians and 7239 (6%) were nonagenarians. In patients ≥65 years, ESS accurately predicted mortality (AUC 0.81). For octogenarians and nonagenarians, ESS predicted mortality moderately well (AUC 0.77 and 0.69, respectively. ConclusionESS accurately predicts mortality and morbidity in the elderly EGS patient, but its accuracy in predicting morbidity decreases for nonagenarians.

Mortality and Health Care Utilization Among Medicare Patients Undergoing Emergency General Surgery vs Those With Acute Medical Conditions

Emergency general surgery (EGS) represents 11% of hospitalizations, and almost half of these hospitalized patients are older adults. Older adults have high rates of mortality and readmissions after EGS, yet little is known as to how these outcomes compare with acute medical conditions that have been targets for quality improvement. To examine whether Medicare beneficiaries who undergo EGS experience similar 1-year outcomes compared with patients admitted with acute medical conditions. This population-based, retrospective cohort study using Medicare claims data from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2014, included adults 65 years or older with at least 1 year of Medicare claims who had urgent or emergency admissions for 1 of the 5 highest-burden EGS procedures (partial colectomy, small-bowel resection, peptic ulcer disease surgery, lysis of adhesions, or laparotomy) or a primary diagnosis of an acute medical condition (pneumonia, heart failure, or acute myocardial infarction). Patients undergoing EGS and those with acute medical conditions were matched 1:1 in a 2-step algorithm: (1) exact match by hospital or (2) propensity score match with age, sex, race/ethnicity, Charlson Comorbidity Index, individual comorbid conditions, claims-based frailty index, year of admission, and any intensive care unit stay. Data analysis was performed from July 16, 2018, to November 13, 2019. Partial colectomy, small-bowel resection, peptic ulcer disease surgery, lysis of adhesions, or laparotomy or a primary diagnosis pneumonia, heart failure, or acute myocardial infarction. One-year mortality, postdischarge health care utilization (emergency department visit, additional hospitalization, intensive care unit stay, or total hospital encounters), and days at home during 1 year. A total of 481 417 matched pairs (mean [SD] age, 78.9 [7.8] years; 272 482 [56.6%] female) with adequate covariate balance were included in the study. Patients undergoing EGS experienced higher 30-day mortality (60 683 [12.6%] vs 56 713 [11.8%], P < .001) yet lower 1-year mortality (142 846 [29.7%] vs 158 385 [32.9%], P < .001) compared with medical patients. Among 409 363 pairs who survived discharge, medical patients experienced higher rates of total hospital encounters in the year after discharge (4 vs 3 per person-year; incidence rate ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.30-1.32) but had similar mean days at home compared with patients undergoing EGS (293 vs 309 days; incident rate ratio, 1.004; 95% CI, 1.004-1.004). In this study, older patients undergoing EGS had similarly high 1-year rates of mortality, hospital use, and days away from home as acutely ill medical patients. These findings suggest that EGS should also be targeted for national quality improvement programs.

Not a Routine Case, Why Expect the Routine Outcome? Quantifying the Infectious Burden of Emergency General Surgery Using the NSQIP

Emergent surgeries have different causes and physiologic patient responses than the same elective surgery, many of which are due to infectious etiologies. Therefore, we hypothesized that emergency cases have a higher risk of postoperative SSI than their elective counterparts. The ACS NSQIP database was queried from 2005 to 2016 for all cholecystectomies, ventral hernia repairs, and partial colectomies to examine common emergency and elective general surgery operations. Thirty-day outcomes were compared by emergent status. Any SSI was the primary outcome. There were 863,164 surgeries: 416,497 cholecystectomies, 220,815 ventral hernia repairs, and 225,852 partial colectomies. SSIs developed in 38,865 (4.5%) patients. SSIs increased with emergencies (5.3% vs 3.6% for any SSI). Postoperative sepsis (5.8% vs 1.5%), septic shock (4.7% vs 0.6%), length of stay (8.1 vs 2.9 days), and mortality (3.6% vs 0.4%) were increased in emergent surgery; P < 0.001 for all. When controlling for age, gender, BMI, diabetes, smoking, wound classification, comorbidities, functional status, and procedure on multivariate analysis, emergency surgery (odds ratio 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.19) was independently associated with the development of SSI. Patients undergoing emergency general surgery experience increased rates of SSI. Patients and their families should be appropriately counseled regarding these elevated risks when consenting for emergency surgery.

Estimation of risk factors of early postoperative mortality in elderly patients who are subjected to emergency operations of the gastrointestinal tract

Introduction/Objective. The elderly (age ? 65 years) comprise an increasing proportion of patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures nowadays. The objective of the paper was to determine the intra-hospital mortality rate in elderly patients undergoing emergency gastrointestinal surgical procedures. Methods. 914 elderly patients (&gt; 65 years old) were examined, divided into two groups: emergency and elective surgery patients, treated for diseases (benign and malignant) of the stomach, duodenum, small intestine and colon. The patients were divided into four age groups and five American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) groups, taking into account the presence of chronic diseases, the values of some laboratory parameters, administering transfusion, and the occurrence of surgical complications during hospitalization. Results. The mortality rate among elderly patients was 17.8%. The univariate analysis in EGS patients revealed that gastro-duodenal surgical interventions (p &lt; 0.001), ASA ? 3 score (p &lt; 0.001), heart, lung, kidney diseases, and postoperative complications (p &lt; 0.001), as well as the white cell count &gt; 10,000/mm3 (p = 0.043) were independent risk factors for mortality. In the multivariate analysis, in EGS patients, the significant risk factors for mortality were gastric surgical interventions (p = 0.001), ASA score of 4 (p &lt; 0.001), heart and kidney disease (p ? 0.001), and white cell count &gt; 10,000/mm3 (p = 0.039). Conclusion. The characterization of independent validated risk indicators for mortality in those patients is essential and may lead to an efficient specific workup, which constitutes a necessary step towards developing a dedicated score for elderly patients.

2019 Canadian Surgery Forum Abstracts.

# 01. The future of general surgery training: a Canadian resident nationwide Delphi consensus statement {#article-title-2} Various pedagogical models have been introduced in an attempt to improve and restructure surgical training, but significant obstacles remain. Before implementing national

ESTIMATION OF RISK FACTORS OF EARLY POSTOPERATIVE MORTALITY IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO GASTRIC SURGICAL PROCEDURES

The use of screening programms in elderly population (age ≥65 years) comprises an increasing proportion of patients undergoing emergency general surgery (EGS) procedures nowadays. The aim was to determine the intra-hospital mortality rate in elderly patients undergoing gastric surgical procedures. 108 elderly patients (≥65 years old) were examined, divided into two groups: deceased and surviving surgical patients, treated for diseases (benign and malignant) of the stomach. The patients were divided into four age groups and five ASA groups, taking into account the presence of chronic diseases, the values of some laboratory parameters, administered transfusion and the occurrence of surgical complications during hospitalization. The mortality rate among elderly patients was 28.7%. The significant risk factors for mortality were: emergency surgery (p &lt; 0.001), bleeding gastric ulcer operations (p = 0.042), lung (p = 0.003), kidney (p &lt; 0.001), heart (p = 0.025) diseases, ASA score of 4 or higher (p &lt; 0.001), serum levels (higher after two times measurement) of creatinine, haemoglobin, CRP, PCT and glycemia (p &lt; 0.001). In order to improve medical treatment, the determination of independent validated risk indicators for mortality in elderly patients might lead to developing a dedicated scoring system.