This is a repository copy of Effectiveness of a national quality improvement programme to improve survival after emergency abdominal surgery (EPOCH) : a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial. Effectiveness of a national quality improvement programme to improve survival after emergency abdominal surgery (EPOCH) : a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial. The Lancet. ISSN 0140-6736 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32521-2 eprints@whiterose.ac.uk https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ ReuseThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND) licence. This licence only allows you to download this work and share it with others as long as you credit the authors, but you can't change the article in any way or use it commercially. More information and the full terms of the licence here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Implications of all the available evidenceDespite the success of some smaller projects, there was no survival benefit from a national quality improvement programme to implement a care pathway for patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. To succeed, large national quality improvement programmes need to allow for differences between hospitals and ensure teams have both the time and resources needed to improve patient care.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the most commonly awaited general surgical procedures in the UK. However, many patients awaiting a cholecystectomy are admitted with recurrent gallstone related symptoms while on the waiting list, resulting in significant morbidity. The aim of this study was to quantify this problem, and also to analyse the cost implications of these admissions for the NHS. A retrospective study was performed of all patients who underwent an elective cholecystectomy by three consultants in a district general hospital between January 1999 and January 2000. The demographic details, indications for surgery, details of the emergency admissions while on the waiting list, and the treatment given during these episodes were recorded. One hundred and fifty six patients were included in the study, of which 122 (78%) were females. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 54 (5) years. The mean waiting time for surgery in these patients was 12 (3) months. Thirty seven patients (23.7%) were admitted as an emergency due to gallstone related symptoms and complications while awaiting surgery. There were 47 episodes of admissions in total, of which 32 were for biliary colic, 13 were for acute cholecystitis, and two were for acute pancreatitis. In addition to routine blood tests, 20 abdominal radiographs, 10 chest radiographs, three endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography tests, five ultrasonograms, and one computed tomogram were carried out in these patients. The mean duration of each episode of admission was three days. The cost of treatment per episode was £946 and the total cost of treating the 37 patients was calculated to be £44 462. Performing early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis may help to reduce costs by preventing recurrent emergency admissions in these patients. Further studies to identify risk factors associated with recurrent symptoms and complications in patients with gallstone disease may help to prioritise them for early surgery. P atients with gallstone disease make up a significant percentage of those awaiting elective surgical procedures. Many of these patients are admitted as an emergency with recurrent gallstone related symptoms. In addition to the morbidity, significant costs are involved in treating these patients.Our aims were to study the incidence of emergency inpatient admissions because of gallstone related problems among those awaiting an elective cholecystectomy, and to assess the direct NHS costs involved in treating these patients. METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed of all the patients who underwent an elective cholecystectomy by three consultants in a district general hospital between January 1999 and January 2000. Data were collected on demographics, the duration of the waiting time, the specific indications for including the patients in the waiting list, details of emergency admissions while awaiting surgery, and the investigations and treatment given during these episodes. RESULTSA total number of 156 patients underwent elective cholec...

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LNF can be safely performed without the routine use of an oesophageal bougie and this practice does not result in increased post-operative dysphagia rates.

Background: Ultrasound is being used increasingly in the assessment of acute non-traumatic abdominal pain as it is non-invasive and does not carry the risk of radiation. However, the inappropriate use of ultrasound can lead to a delayed or incorrect diagnosis, more work for the personnel involved, and increased hospital costs. Methods: A prospective study was conducted to analyse the clinical indications for requesting an ultrasound in those admitted to a district general hospital with acute non-traumatic abdominal pain, and to assess whether there is a correlation between clinical and laboratory findings and ultrasound results. A total of 110 patients were studied during a three month period. Results: The results suggest that ultrasound is useful in the investigation of suspected biliary colic and abdominal masses. However, the yield of ultrasound in other patients with acute non-traumatic abdominal pain is low. This study also suggests that the yield of ''positive'' reports on ultrasound is significantly higher in patients with localised abdominal pain and tenderness and in those with acute abdominal pain and a raised white cell count or raised liver function tests. The yield of positive reports in patients with acute abdominal pain was found to be lower those less than 25 years of age than in older patients.