Most unanticipated admissions following ambulatory surgery in children are related to anesthesia, with otolaryngology procedures and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among the most significant predictive factors for admission.
These are the findings of a case control study in which Canadian researchers retrospectively reviewed more than 21,000 pediatric patients who underwent ambulatory surgery in a single center to evaluate the incidence of unanticipated admission and risk factors.
The study found that the incidence of unanticipated admission is low but significant for children following ambulatory surgery. Among 21,957 study patients, unanticipated admissions occurred in 213 (0.97%).