44 / 66
42
Figure 25: Provision of critical care support to patients by specialty.
Note: total n=5,184 operative cases.
Audit period 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2015.
Data not available: n=422 (8%).
‘Other surgeries’ include: Oral/maxillofacial, Ophthalmology, Trauma, Transplant and Oncology.
CCU: critical care unit.
Specialties
Comments:
•
Similar to previous years, orthopaedic patients have low referral rates for critical care support. This is thought to be
due to a high number of elderly patients with fractured neck of femur admitted from high-level care institutions.
•
The treating surgeon perceived that a lack of critical care support was potentially an issue in only a very small
percentage 23 in 1,809 (<1%) of their cases.
•
The peer review process (FLA and SLA) suggested that only 8.2% (169/2,048) of patients who did not receive
critical care support were likely to have benefited from it.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All surgeries
Vascular Surgery
Urology
Plastic Surgery
Paediatric Surgery
Otolaryngology Head and Neck
Other surgeries
Orthopaedic Surgery
Neurosurgery
Gynaecology and Obstetrics
General Surgery
Cardiothoracic Surgery
Critical care utilisation (%)
Specialty
CCU provided
CCU not provided
100%
Specialties requiring CCU support
2007-2014
100%
Specialties requiring CCU support
2014-2015