Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Impact of a Care Pathway for Older Patients Undergoing Emergency Abdominal Surgery: A Before‐and‐After Study
Authors' conclusion
In this 'before-and-after' study a care pathway designed for older patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery had no significant impact on the composite outcome of postoperative mortality and complications.
Study context
- Population
- Patients aged ≥ 75 years undergoing emergency abdominal surgery12 palliated patients excluded
- Participants
- 154 vs 170
- Exposure
- Care pathway for older patients vs before implementation
- Aftern = 154
- Beforen = 170reference
- Outcome
- Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI), composite of 30-day mortality and postoperative complications
Methodological detailssingle-centre, prospective 'after' cohort, historical 'before' cohort
- Single-centre
- Prospective 'after' cohort
- Historical 'before' cohort
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
CCI
After
44
mean · 95% CI 39–48
Before
50
mean · 95% CI 46–55
P = 0.15
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| 30-day postoperative mortality · significantly reduced | P = 0.04 |
| Pulmonary complicationsSignificantly reduced | P < 0.001 |
| Gastrointestinal complicationsSignificantly reduced | P = 0.02 |
30-day postoperative mortality
- Postoperative 30-day mortality significantly reduced (22% vs. 13%, group order not stated)
Palliative patients
- Severely frail patients triaged to palliation, excluded from study, received palliative care
- 12
Mortality at 1 and 3 years
- Postoperative mortality at 1 year
- 31%
- Postoperative mortality at 3 years
- 49%
- High postoperative mortality
Pulmonary complications
- Pulmonary complications significantly reduced (44% vs. 69%, group order not stated)
Gastrointestinal complications
- Gastrointestinal complications significantly reduced (39% vs. 52%, group order not stated)
Original publication
Impact of a Care Pathway for Older Patients Undergoing Emergency Abdominal Surgery: A Before‐and‐After Study. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. Published 9 January 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →