Perioperative medicine & outcomes
The Association Between Perioperative Enhanced Care Unit Characteristics and Surgical Cancelation: A Nationwide Observational Study
Authors' conclusion
Structure and process features of enhanced care pathways are associated with cancelation rates among high-risk surgical patients in the United Kingdom. These findings may explain why cancelation rates in enhanced care are typically lower than within critical care and may have important policy implications.
Study context
- Population
- Patients referred for postoperative care to enhanced or critical care at UK sites with both enhanced and critical care facilities and >10 referrals to enhanced carepatients referred to enhanced or critical care at 28 sites (complete data for 65 sites)
- Participants
- 4,112 patients
- Exposure
- Structure and process features of enhanced care units and surgical cancelation
- Outcome
- Surgical cancelation rates, enhanced care vs critical care
Methodological detailsmultilevel regression, two-level model with cases nested within hospitals
- Multilevel regression
- Two-level model with cases nested within hospitals
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- In most institutions, surgical cancelation rates were lower within their enhanced care facility than in critical care
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Odds of cancelation by enhanced care unit features
| OR (CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced care units with beds reserved exclusively for elective casesReduced odds of cancelation · multilevel regression, cases nested within hospitals | 0.54 (0.39–0.76) | P < 0.001 | |
| Enhanced care units with clinical care involving multiple specialitiesReduced odds of cancelation · multilevel regression, cases nested within hospitals | 0.48 (0.33–0.69) | P < 0.001 | |
| Enhanced care units that permitted admission of emergency casesGreater odds of cancelation · multilevel regression, cases nested within hospitals | 1.61 (1.06–2.43) | P = 0.024 | |
| 0.20.5125Odds ratio (log scale) |
Original publication
The Association Between Perioperative Enhanced Care Unit Characteristics and Surgical Cancelation: A Nationwide Observational Study. Anesth Analg. Published 26 October 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →