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Paediatric surgery--a general hospital experience
1Department of Surgery, Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar, Co Mayo.
Insights
Paediatric surgery is a significant workload in district hospitals, comprising 7.4% of all surgeries. Continued regional provision is essential, with specialist centres for complex cases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Centralization of pediatric surgery services in Ireland may impact service delivery and training.
- Understanding the workload in district general hospitals is crucial for planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the workload of pediatric surgery in a district hospital over a five-year period.
- To evaluate the volume and types of pediatric surgical procedures performed.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of pediatric surgical admissions and procedures at Mayo General Hospital (2006-2010).
- Data sourced from Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (HIPE) systems and theatre logbooks.
Main Results:
- 4,255 procedures were performed on 3,981 pediatric patients, representing 7.4% of the total surgical workload.
- 65% of cases were elective, while 35% were emergencies.
- Appendectomy was the most frequent procedure (n=554) with a 2.5% complication rate; no pediatric surgery-related mortalities occurred.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric surgery constitutes a substantial portion of the surgical workload in district hospitals.
- General pediatric surgical services should be maintained in regional settings.
- Access to specialist centers is vital for managing complex pediatric surgical cases.
Abstract:
Plans to centralise paediatric surgery in Ireland have potentially significant implications for service provision and surgical training. study assesses the workload of paediatric surgery in a district hospital over a five-year period. Paediatric surgical admissions and procedures at Mayo General Hospital from January 2006 - December 2010 were reviewed. Data was obtained from the Hospital inpatient enquiry (HIPE) systems and theatre logbooks. 4,255 surgical procedures were performed in 3981 paediatric patients, accounting for 7.4% of the total surgical workload. 2,578 (65%) of cases were elective and 1403 (35%) of paediatric surgery was performed in the emergency setting; paediatric appendicectomy was the most commonly performed procedure (n = 554) with a complication rate of 2.5%. There were no paediatric surgery related mortalities. Paediatric surgery represents a significant part of the surgical workload. There is a continued need for general paediatric surgical provision in this regional setting, supported by access to specialist centres for complicated paediatric surgery.
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