title: Problems in day care surgery.
abstract: In-patient admission represents a failure of a day care service. The hospital records of 105 patients transferred from the day ward to the in-patient wards were studied retrospectively. Of 2,039 patients treated in the day care ward, 105 (5%) required in-patient admission over a 12 month period. Of these 105 admissions, 17% did not fulfil the criteria for day care patients, 46% had surgical problems, and 35% anaesthetic-associated problems. The in-patient admission rate could be reduced by improved out-patient selection of cases, use of a separate day care theatre, increased use of local anaesthetic techniques, reduction in the use of parenteral opioids, the use of simple oral analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents as pre-emptive analgesia and a wider use of propofol as an induction agent which provides superior recovery from anaesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McAuley
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D002985:Clinical Protocols / Q000592:standards; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D009660:Northern Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology