AB064. SOH25_AB_166. Evaluating the use of the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit score and its predictive value in emergency laparotomy outcomes
General Surgery II

AB064. SOH25_AB_166. Evaluating the use of the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit score and its predictive value in emergency laparotomy outcomes

Jessica Odidison, Amor Alkadhimi, Meadhbh Ni Mhiochain de Grae, William Duggan, Cillian Clancy, Shaheel Sahebally, James O’Riordain, Amy Gillis, Maria Whelan, Paul Ridgeway, Paul Neary, Dara Oliver Kavanagh

Department of Surgery, Tallaght University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Background: The National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) score is a widely utilised tool for estimating 30-day mortality risk and predicting postoperative care needs in emergency laparotomy patients. It enhances resource planning and informed consent for the patient and next of kin. This study aimed to evaluate NELA score usage and its correlation with postoperative outcomes in a cohort of patients.

Methods: Data was collected retrospectively for 15 patients who underwent emergency laparotomies at our institution over an 8-month period (January–August 2024). Key NELA performance indicators, including consultant surgeon presence and postoperative admission to critical care post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU)/high dependency unit (HDU), were documented. NELA scores were available for 5 patients, with 3 scoring >5%. Additional data included patient demographics, procedure date, and indication for laparotomy.

Results: Consultant surgeon presence was recorded in all 15 cases. Postoperatively, 10 patients (66.7%) required PACU admission. Among the 5 patients with available NELA scores, 4 (80%) were admitted to critical care. All 3 patients with a NELA score >5% required ICU admission, demonstrating the predictive accuracy of the score.

Conclusions: This study highlights the underutilization of the NELA score in emergency laparotomy cases, despite its critical role in risk stratification and resource allocation. Patients with a NELA score >5% consistently required intensive care unit (ICU) admission, underscoring its importance in preoperative planning. Routine NELA score calculation should be integrated into clinical practice to improve risk assessment, optimize resource allocation, and enhance patient outcomes. Consultant involvement in all cases reflects adherence to high standards of surgical care.

Keywords: National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA); emergency laparotomy; risk stratification; postoperative outcomes; critical care

Acknowledgments

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Footnote

Funding: None.

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-25-ab064
Cite this abstract as: Odidison J, Alkadhimi A, de Grae MNM, Duggan W, Clancy C, Sahebally S, O’Riordain J, Gillis A, Whelan M, Ridgeway P, Neary P, Kavanagh DO. AB064. SOH25_AB_166. Evaluating the use of the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit score and its predictive value in emergency laparotomy outcomes. Mesentery Peritoneum 2025;9:AB064.

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