Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34729998›Full record

ArticleBone & joint open2021

Introducing a day-case arthroplasty pathway significantly reduces overall length of stay.

Paul Saunders, Nick Smith, Farhan Syed, Thomas Selvaraj, Jon Waite, Stephen Young

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Bone & joint open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Successful same-day discharge in 88% of patients after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2023
    Pooled it
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  9. Review
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  12. [Chinese expert consensus on clinical practice of daytime hip arthroplasty].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2024
    Article
  13. Delivery of elective care in the future.Future healthcare journal · 2022
    Article
  14. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Paul SaundersWarwick Hospital, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick, UK.
Nick SmithUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Farhan SyedUniversity Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire, Coventry, UK.
Thomas SelvarajWarwick Hospital, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick, UK.
Jon WaiteWarwick Hospital, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick, UK.
Stephen YoungWarwick Hospital, South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust, Warwick, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsDay-case arthroplasty is gaining popularity in Europe. We report outcomes from the first 12 months following implementation of a day-case pathway for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) in an NHS hospital.

methodsA total of 47 total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 24 unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) patients were selected for the day-case arthroplasty pathway, based on preoperative fitness and agreement to participate. Data were likewise collected for a matched control group (n = 58) who followed the standard pathway three months prior to the implementation of the day-case pathway. We report same-day discharge (SDD) success, reasons for delayed discharge, and patient-reported outcomes. Overall length of stay (LOS) for all lower limb arthroplasty was recorded to determine the wider impact of implementing a day-case pathway.

resultsPatients on the day-case pathway achieved SDD in 47% (22/47) of THAs and 67% (16/24) of UKAs. The most common reasons for failed SDD were nausea, hypotension, and pain, which were strongly associated with the use of fentanyl in the spinal anaesthetic. Complications and patient-reported outcomes were not significantly different between groups. Following the introduction of the day-case pathway, the mean LOS reduced significantly by 0.7, 0.6, and 0.5 days respectively in THA, UKA, and total knee arthroplasty cases (p < 0.001).

conclusionDay-case pathways are feasible in an NHS set-up with only small changes required. We do not recommend fentanyl in the spinal anaesthetic for day-case patients. An important benefit seen in our unit is the so-called 'day-case effect', with a significant reduction in mean LOS seen across all lower limb arthroplasty. Cite this article:

Indexed as

anaestheticsarthroplastyArthroplastyDay-casefentanylhip and knee arthroplastyhypotensionLength of staylower limb arthroplastyNHSpatient-reported outcomesSame-day dischargetotal hip arthroplasty (THA)total knee arthroplasty (TKA)unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA)

Identifiers

PMID34729998
PMCPMC8636294

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.