Latin American Surgical Outcomes Study in Paediatrics (LASOS-Peds): study protocol and statistical analysis plan for...

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Surgical Outcomes Research
• Paediatric Surgery

Background:

• Significant disparities exist in surgical and anaesthesia care access and safety between high-income and low-to-middle-income countries.
• Safe surgery is recognized as a fundamental human right, yet access remains inequitable globally.
• Paediatric surgery outcomes in Latin America require further investigation to address these disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence of 30-day in-hospital complications following paediatric surgery in Latin American countries.
• To establish a baseline for surgical outcomes in a diverse paediatric population across multiple international centres.
• To identify areas for improvement in surgical and anaesthesia care for children in the region.

Main Methods:

• An international, prospective, multicentre observational cohort study.
• Involves 14-day data collection on paediatric patients undergoing elective or emergency surgery (inpatient/outpatient, OR/non-OR).
• Primary outcome: incidence of in-hospital postoperative complications within 30 days; secondary outcomes include intraoperative complications and ICU admission.

Main Results:

• Data collection is ongoing for the LASOS-Peds study.
• The study protocol has received ethical approval from all participating centres.
• Results are anticipated for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at international conferences.

Conclusions:

• The LASOS-Peds study is crucial for understanding paediatric surgical complications in Latin America.
• Findings will inform strategies to reduce disparities and enhance the safety of paediatric surgical care.
• Dissemination of results aims to promote evidence-based improvements in global child surgery outcomes.