Use of a general surgical high dependency unit in a district general hospital: the first 10 years

The high dependency unit (HDU) is a facility that is an essential component of any surgical unit. This paper reviews the development of a general surgical HDU managed by surgeons over a decade, with analysis of activity from 1991 to 1996. The general surgical workload has increased during the 10-year period, and the case-mix has become richer by an increase in vascular surgery. The HDU provides essential post-operative care to major surgical patients and minimizes the cancellation of aortic operations without placing an extra burden on the intensive care services. The HDU centralises sick patients, facilitating their care, and provides a learning environment for trainee surgeons.