BACKGROUND Several options exist for the diagnosis and management of suspected common duct stones. We hypothesized that a protocol-directed approach would shorten length of stay in this patient population. METHODS… Click to show full abstract
BACKGROUND Several options exist for the diagnosis and management of suspected common duct stones. We hypothesized that a protocol-directed approach would shorten length of stay in this patient population. METHODS Patients from four participating institutions with a peak bilirubin <4 mg/dL underwent surgery as the initial procedure, whereas patients with a bilirubin ≥4 mg/dL underwent endoscopy. The primary endpoint was length of stay. Analysis involved chi square and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test with significance at p < 0.05. RESULTS 214 patients were managed under the protocol during six-month study period. 111 patients (52%) required endoscopy and surgery. Length of stay and the number of MRCPs performed pre-operatively significantly decreased following protocol implementation (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS "Surgery first" approach in patients with bilirubin <4 ml/dL resulted in low morbidity and mortality, reduced MRCP, and length of stay.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.