Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026
A Modified Sonographic Algorithm for Image Acquisition in Life-Threatening Emergencies in the Critically Ill Newborn
Published on: April 7, 2023
Unplanned hospital admission in children undergoing day-case surgery
1The Children's University Hospital, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Dublin, Republic of Ireland. imad1000@eircom.net
Insights
Unplanned hospital admissions after pediatric day-case surgery occurred in 2.2% of cases, primarily due to surgical or anesthetic reasons. These findings are comparable to adult day-case surgery outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Surgical Outcomes
Background:
- Unplanned hospital admission is a key indicator of care quality in day-case surgery.
- Identifying the incidence and causes of these admissions in pediatric settings is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of unplanned hospital admissions in children undergoing day-case surgery.
- To identify the primary causes of these admissions in a pediatric day-case unit.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective survey was conducted at a university-affiliated children's hospital.
- Data from January 1996 to December 1999 were analyzed for children undergoing day-case surgery.
Main Results:
- 2.2% (242/10,772) of pediatric day-case surgery patients experienced unplanned admission.
- Surgical (54%) and anesthetic (16%) reasons were the most common causes.
- Orthopaedic, urology, and general surgery had the highest absolute numbers of admissions, with urology having the highest proportion relative to caseload.
Conclusions:
- The incidence and causes of unplanned hospital admissions in pediatric day-case surgery are similar to those observed in adult populations.
- Findings highlight areas for potential quality improvement in pediatric day-case surgical care.
Background And Objective:
Unplanned hospital admission is a measure of quality of care in the setting of day-case surgery. We set out to identify the incidence and causes of unplanned hospital admission in a paediatric day-case unit.
Methods:
A retrospective survey to determine the incidence and causes of unplanned hospital admissions in children undergoing day-case surgery. The survey covered the period from January 1996 until December 1999 inclusive in a university affiliated children's hospital. This hospital is the second largest paediatric referral centre in Ireland with total admissions across all specialities during the study period of 42 738.
Results:
During the study period 10 772 children underwent day-case surgery, of whom 242 (2.2%) experienced unplanned hospital admission. The reasons for admission were surgical 146 (54%), anaesthetic 44 (16%), social 38 (14%), medical 31 (11%) and unclassified 10 (4%). Pain, surgical complications and/or further management, admission for observation, extensive surgery and oozing were the commonest surgical reasons. Postoperative nausea and vomiting, anaesthetic-related complication and somnolence were the commonest anaesthetic causes responsible for admission. Surgery performed after 15:00 h was an important factor associated with admission for social reasons. Orthopaedic surgery accounted for the largest absolute number of unplanned admissions with 61 (25%), followed by urology with 46 (19%) and general surgery with 46 (19%). However, measured as percentage of caseload, urology had the highest proportion of unplanned hospital admissions.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated that the incidence and causes of unplanned hospital admission following day-case surgery in children are similar to those for adults.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Planning Nursing Care I
01:26Endoscopic Procedures IV: Sigmoidoscopy and Laproscopy
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...