A new national standard is seeking to improve outcomes for these patients, who are often among the sickest in the hospital. A timely approach to assessment, escalation and surgery are critical to ensuring better patient outcomes.
Emergency laparotomy remains one of the highest-risk procedures performed in acute surgical practice, with significant variation in outcomes across health services.
Older adults, people with frailty or significant comorbidities, and people presenting with sepsis are at particularly high risk.
Today the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care released the first national Emergency Laparotomy Clinical Care Standard, which marks an important step towards improving the safety, consistency, and quality of care for patients undergoing this procedure.
The Standard builds on and aligns with the work of the Australian and New Zealand Emergency Laparotomy Audit – Quality Improvement (ANZELA-QI).
- Download a copy: Emergency Laparotomy Clinical Care Standard
- Media release: National action on life-saving urgent abdominal surgery
The Standard is being launched today at the 94th Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Annual Scientific Congress in Perth.
More information
Visit safetyandquality.gov.au/el-ccs or email ccs@safetyandquality.gov.au