title: Implementation of an Acute Care Surgery Service Facilitates Modern Clinical Practice Guidelines for Gallstone Pancreatitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current practice guidelines for management of gallstone pancreatitis (GSP) recommend early cholecystectomy for patient stabilization and bile duct clearance, preferably at index admission. Historically, this has been difficult to achieve due to lack of emergency surgical resources. We investigated whether implementation of an acute care surgery (ACS) model would allow better adherence to current practice guidelines for GSP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was conducted of all patients admitted with the diagnosis of GSP to 2 tertiary care university teaching hospitals from January 2002 to October 2013. Diagnosis was confirmed on review of clinical, biochemical, and radiographic criteria. Patients were divided into pre-ACS (2002 to 2009) and post-ACS (2010 to 2013) eras. Only 1 of the 2 hospitals implemented an ACS service in the latter era. Data were collected on demographics, admissions, cholecystectomy timing, and emergency department visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before implementation of an ACS service, the rate of index cholecystectomy was 3% at both hospital sites. The rate of index cholecystectomy increased significantly with the addition of ACS, from 2.4% to 67% (p < 0.001). The presence of an ACS team was highly predictive of index cholecystectomy (odds ratio = 10.4; 95% CI 2.0 to 55.1). Patients who did not undergo cholecystectomy during the index admission had an overall readmission rate of 24.9% at both sites. In the ACS hospital, repeat emergency department visits decreased from 24.8% to 8.3% (p < 0.001) and readmission rate decreased from 16.8% to 7.3% (p = 0.04) in the pre-and post-ACS eras, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of an ACS service resulted in a higher rate of index cholecystectomy and decreased emergency department visits and readmissions for biliary disease, and allowed for increased adherence to clinical practice guidelines for GSP.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Patrick B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Dave
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paskar
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Division of Critical Care, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Neil G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Parry
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Racz
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kelly N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Symonette
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.affiliation: Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Division of Critical Care, Department of Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: Tina.Mele@lhsc.on.ca.
authors.forename: Tina S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Mele
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061646:Operative Time; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D010343:Patient Admission; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*