Chang Gung medical journal
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To identify clinical features that distinguish children with appendicitis who visited the emergency department twice or more from those diagnosed on the first visit to the emergency department. ⋯ Misdiagnosed appendicitis is a problem in the emergency department. A shorter stay in the emergency department, fewer laboratory tests, less diagnostic imaging, and fewer physical findings may be responsible for misdiagnosed appendicitis late at night in the emergency department.
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Roughly 60,000 operations are performed at our medical center every year, so making efficient use of operating rooms (OR) is an important issue. Decreasing the cancellation rate of surgery is one method that could increase efficiency. We reviewed all OR cancellations in 2007 to survey the cancellation rates and causes. ⋯ Of all causes of cancellation of surgery, 54.1% were avoidable. Medical teams must communicate better with patients and relatives, identify and treat relevant comorbidities, and make adequate preparations for surgery.