Abstract
Purpose
Literature reports worse outcomes for operations performed during off-hours. As this has not been studied in pediatric extracorporeal life support (ECLS), we compared complications based on the timing of cannulation..
Methods
This is a retrospective review of 176 pediatric ECLS patients between 2004 and 2015. Patients cannulated during daytime hours (7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M., M-F) were compared to off-hours (nighttime or weekend) using t-test and Chi-square.
Results
The most common indications for ECLS were congenital diaphragmatic hernia (33 %) and persistent pulmonary hypertension (23 %). When comparing regular hours (40 %) to off-hours cannulation (60 %), there were no significant differences in central nervous system complications, hemorrhage (extra-cranial), cannula repositioning, conversion from venovenous to venoarterial, mortality on ECLS, or survival-to-discharge. The overall complication rate was slightly lower in the off-hours group (45.7 % versus 61.9 %, P = 0.034).
Conclusion
Outcomes were not significantly worse for patients undergoing ELCS cannulation during off-hours compared to normal weekday working hours.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Gonzalez, K.W., Dalton, B.G.A., Weaver, K.L. et al. Effect of timing of cannulation on outcome for pediatric extracorporeal life support. Pediatr Surg Int 32, 665–669 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-016-3901-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00383-016-3901-6