Introduction 'Emergency Laparotomy' is an umbrella term for a set of commonly performed procedures which are known to carry a significant risk of mortality and morbidity. Previous work has shown considerable inter-hospital variation in emergency laparotomy outcomes within the United Kingdom. It is unknown whether there are significant differences in outcomes following laparotomy which may be explained by differences in hospital procedural volume. Aims The aim of this study is to compare emergency laparotomy outcomes in Scotland as they vary by hospital procedural volume. Methods This research study is a retrospective observational enquiry which will utilise administrative data from the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland. Patient episodes will be identified by a set of procedure codes for emergency laparotomy. The primary outcome measure will be risk-adjusted 30 day/inpatient mortality, and secondary outcome measures will be 30 day readmission rate, 30 day re-operation rate and length of stay.
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Mortality
Timeframe: Either within 30 days of procedure, or during continuous in-patient stay (up to 12.5 years)