Reasons for in-hospital delays to emergency surgical care in a resource-limited setting: Surgery versus anesthesiology perspective. (January 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Robinson, Brittany; Purcell, Laura N.; Reiss, Rachel; Msosa, Vanessa; Mtalimaja, Onias; Charles, Anthony
• Is Part Of: Tropical doctor. Volume 53:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 66
• Page End: 72
• Publication Date: 2023-01
• Subjects: In-hospital delays -- surgical delays -- global surgery -- adult; Tropical medicine -- Periodicals; Medical care -- Developing countries -- Periodicals; Developing Countries -- Periodicals; Tropical Medicine -- Periodicals; Tropische geneeskunde; 616.9883
• DOI: 10.1177/00494755221100342
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0049-4755

Abstract

Patients experience delays in emergency surgical care. Our 3-month mixed-methods observational prospective study examined the duration of in-hospital delays (IHDs) to emergency surgery at a tertiary hospital in Malawi and perceived reasons for such delay, assessing the correlation between surgery and anesthesia. Delays over two hours occurred in the majority, and almost 20% waited over twelve hours. However, we found no correlation between surgeons and anaesthetists in the perceived reasons for In-hospital delays to emergency surgical care.