The "weekend effect" does not impact on outcome of trauma laparotomy - Experience from a level 1 trauma centre in New Zealand.

PURPOSE: Trauma centres have been proven to provide better outcomes in developed countries for overall trauma, but there is limited literature on the systematic factors that describe any discrepancies in outcomes for trauma laparotomies in these centres. This study was conducted to examine and interrogate the effect of systematic factors on patients undergoing a trauma laparotomy in a developed country, intending to identify potential discrepancies in the outcome.

METHODS: This was a retrospective study of all laparotomies performed for trauma at a level 1 trauma centre in New Zealand. All adult patients who had undergone an index laparotomy for trauma between February 2012 and November 2020 were identified and laparotomies for both blunt and penetrating trauma were included. Repeat laparotomies and trauma laparotomies in children were excluded. The primary clinical outcomes reviewed included morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality. All statistical analysis was performed using R v.4.0.3.

RESULTS: During the 9-year study period, 204 trauma laparotomies were performed at Waikato hospital. The majority (83.3%) were performed during office hours (170/204), and the remaining 16.7% were performed after hours (34/204). And 61.3% were performed on a weekday (125/204), whilst 38.7% were performed on the weekend/public holiday (79/204). Most of the parameters in office hours and after hours groups had no statistically significant difference, except lactate (p = 0.026). Most of the variables in weekday and weekend groups had no statistically significant difference, except pH, lactate, length of stay, and gastrointestinal complications (p = 0.012, p < 0.001, p = 0.003, p = 0.020, respectively).

CONCLUSION: The current trauma system at Waikato hospital is capable of delivering care for trauma laparotomy patients with the same outcome regardless of working hours or after hours, weekday or weekend. This confirms the importance of a robust trauma system capable of responding to the sudden demands placed on it.