Outcomes of Small Bowel Obstructions by Admitting Specialty and Hospital Type

Small bowel obstructions (SBOs) account for a significant burden on the health care system. Should the ongoing trend of regionalizing medicine extend to these patients? We investigated if there is a benefit to admitting SBOs to larger teaching hospitals and to surgical services.

We performed a retrospective chart review of 505 patients admitted to a Sentara Facility between 2012 and 2019 with a diagnosis of SBO. Patients between the ages of 18 and 89 were included. Patients were excluded if they required emergent operation. Outcomes were evaluated based on patient's admission either to a teaching or community hospital as well as the admitting service's specialty.

Of 505 patients admitted with a SBO, 351 (69.5%) were admitted to a teaching hospital. 392 (77.6%) patients were admitted to a surgical service. The average length of stay (LOS) (4 vs 7 days, P < .0001) and cost ($18,069.79 vs $26,458.20, P < .0001) were lower at teaching hospitals. The same trends in LOS (4 vs 7 days, P < .0001) and cost ($18,265.10 vs $29 944.82, P < .0001) were seen with surgical services. The 30-day readmission rate was higher in teaching hospitals (18.2% vs 11%, P = .0429), and no difference was seen in operative rate or mortality.

These data would suggest that there is a benefit to admitting SBO patients to larger teaching hospitals and to surgical services with regard to LOS and cost, suggesting that these patients might benefit from treatment at centers with emergency general surgery (EGS) Services.