[Surgical suspensions, a quality factor in pediatric surgical patient care]

To identify the factors that influence surgical suspensions (SQ) in a pediatric surgery service, to estimate its economic impact and to analyze the effect that strategies aimed at increasing efficiency and improving medical-surgical care would have.

Retrospective analysis of SQ in 2015, depending on the patient, organization or professionals, time of year, schedule (morning or afternoon) and type of surgery: major ambulatory surgery (CMA) or with hospital admission. Implementation of corrective measures against the main causes and subsequent comparative analysis in 2016 and 2017, comparing the results using Chi2 and Fisher's test. Evaluation of the economic impact based on lost operating hours.

The SQ rate in 2015 was 8.9%: 90.7% attributable to the patient, 6.8% to organizational factors and 2.7% to professionals. There were no significant differences according to the time of year or between morning or afternoon, but they were significantly more frequent in CMA (10.84% vs. 2.63%, p <0.001). After introducing improvement measures, SQ decreased significantly in 2016 and 2017 (6.2 and 4.9% respectively, p<0.01), mainly patient-dependent (80 and 73.9%, respectively, p=0.03). There were no differences between CMA and surgeries with admission and there was a decrease in the associated costs (€ 40,946 in 2015, € 18,217 in 2017).

SQ represent an inconvenience for the patient, professionals and institution, that can be minimized with the implantation of simple, feasible and contrasted measures, that increase the efficiency and, probably, the satisfaction of users and professionals.