A Standardized Perioperative Clinical Pathway for Uncomplicated Craniosynostosis Repair Is Associated With Reduced Hospital Resource Utilization.

BACKGROUND

Hospital resource overutilization can significantly disrupt patient treatment such as cancelling surgical patients due to a lack of intensive care unit (ICU) space. The authors describe a clinical pathway (CP) designed to reduce ICU length of stay (LOS) for nonsyndromic single-suture craniosynostosis (nsSSC) patients undergoing cranial vault reconstruction (CVR) in order to minimize surgical disruptions and improve patient outcomes.

METHODS

A multidisciplinary team implemented a perioperative CP including scheduled laboratory testing to decrease ICU LOS. Hospital and ICU LOS, interventions, and perioperative morbidity-infection rate, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, and unplanned return to the operating room (OR)-were compared using Mann-Whitney U, Fisher exact, and t tests.

RESULTS

Fifty-one ICU admissions were managed with the standardized CP and compared to 49 admissions in the 12 months prior to pathway implementation. There was a significant reduction in ICU LOS (control: mean 1.84 ± 0.93, median 1.89 ± 0.94; CP: mean 1.15 ± 0.34, median 1.03 ± 0.34 days; P < 0.001 for both). There were similar rates of hypotension requiring intervention (CP: 2, control: 1; P = 0.999), postoperative transfusion (CP: 3, control: 0; P = 0.243), and artificial ventilation (CP: 1, control: 0; P = 0.999). Perioperative morbidity such as infection (CP: 1, control: 0; P = 0.999), return to the OR (CP: 1, control: 0; P = 0.999), and CSF leak (no leaks; P = 0.999) was also similar.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of a standardized perioperative CP for nsSSC patients resulted in a significantly shorter ICU LOS without a measured change in perioperative morbidity. Pathways such as the one described that improve patient throughput and decrease resource utilization benefit craniofacial teams in conducting an efficient service while providing high-quality care.