70926 - Early discharge from Paediatric day surgery unit

Introduction Day surgery units are characterized by a rapid patient flow. In the pediatric setting there is often a delay in discharge due to micturition problem for the child postoperatively. This might lead to a long day, waiting for the child to pee after minor surgery. Some children have difficulties urinating due to anaesthetic causes, others for surgical reasons. Furthermore, the environment at a hospital can be stressful for children and have a negative impact on the ability to urinate. The aim for this study was to see if it’s safe for children to be discharged without having peed after day surgery procedures. Method A routine was developed for early discharge, which meant children were discharged prior to micturition if the child’s general condition was good. Excluded procedures were bilateral undescended testis, Fowler Stephens 2 and hypospadias. Thorough oral and written information was given regarding when/where to seek healthcare if the child didn´t urinate the same evening. Written consent was obtained by caregivers. Result Out of 1000 children where 122* patients selected for early discharge, 119 of these were eligible for inclusion according to protocol. 2 out of 119 patients had to attend healthcare. 1 patient urinated upon arrival at the ward, 1 needed enema to urinate. *The 3 excluded patients had hypospadia operation, all 3 needed to attend healthcare to urinate. Discussion With appropriate information and instructions, discharge prior to urination is safe and can be offered to children after daycare surgery if the caregiver and patient prefer early discharge.