Day-case surgery patient selection and discharge criteria in children

Abstract

Day-case surgery (DCS) is a planned procedure, in which patients are admitted for surgery and discharged on the same day. DCS confers major advantages for the child and the family, as it reduces the potential negative impact of an overnight stay and allows for the patient to have familiar surroundings during recovery. Children are excellent candidates for DCS because they are usually healthy, free of systemic disease, and typically require straightforward, minor, or intermediate surgical procedures. While there are numerous well-accepted benefits of DCS for patients and health-care organizations, one problem with this approach is determining if the procedure is feasible and safe. Effective patient selection and postoperative assessment with protocol-driven discharge is fundamental for DCS but requires experience and an understanding of the criteria for each intervention. This study aimed to present the criteria for patient selection and discharge of pediatric surgery patients who underwent DCS.