The Australian journal of rural health
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Aust J Rural Health · Jun 2015
Waiting for definitive care: An analysis of elapsed time from decision to surgery or transfer in a rural centre.
To examine the timing of operative management and interhospital transfer of emergency general surgical patients in a regional setting. ⋯ Even in the absence of a strict four-hour rule program and a dedicated emergency surgical unit, main outcome measures appear to be comparatively efficient. However, the duration for transfer of patients is suboptimal because of the lack of established pathways for urgent non-trauma transfer from rural centres and bed availability in tertiary hospitals.