Anaesthesia
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Risk factors for complications after emergency surgery for paediatric appendicitis: a national prospective observational cohort study.
Appendicectomy is a common procedure in children with a low risk of mortality, however, complication rates and risk factors are largely unknown. This study aimed to characterise the incidence and epidemiology of postoperative complications in children undergoing appendicectomy in the UK. This multicentre prospective observational cohort study, which included children aged 1-16 y who underwent surgery for suspected appendicitis, was conducted between November 2019 and January 2022. ⋯ Other risk factors for complications included: ASA physical status ≥ 3 (OR (95%CI) 4.05 (1.70-9.67), p = 0.002); raised C-reactive protein (OR 95%CI 1.01 (1.00-1.01), p < 0.001); pyrexia (OR (95%CI) 1.77(1.20-2.63), p = 0.004); and peri-operative oxygen supplementation (OR (95%CI) 4.20 (1.44-12.24), p = 0.009). In the UK NHS, which is a universally accessible healthcare system, ethnicity, but not socio-economic status, was associated with an increased risk of postoperative complications in children having surgery for acute appendicitis. Further evaluations and interventions are required to address this health inequality in keeping with NHS and international priorities.