Table 1 Characteristics of the study sample
Characteristics | All (n = 6,325) | DHD | |
|---|---|---|---|
|  |  | No (n = 5,815) | Yes (n = 510) |
Patients’ characteristics |  |  |  |
Age in years, mean [SD] | 73.9 [15.9] | 73.5 [16.1] | 78.4 [12.5] |
Sex (%) | Â | Â | Â |
Male | 2,876 (45.5) | 2,670 (45.9) | 206 (40.4) |
Female | 3,449 (54.5) | 3,145 (54.1) | 304 (59.6) |
Admission status (%) | Â | Â | Â |
Elective | 1,294 (20.5) | 1,218 (20.9) | 76 (14.9) |
Urgent | 5,031 (79.5) | 4,597 (79.1) | 434 (85.1) |
Patient’s residence (%) |  |  |  |
Same province as that of the operative unit | 5,640 (89.2) | 5,177 (89.0) | 463 (90.8) |
Other province as that of the operative unit | 269 (4.2) | 253 (4.4) | 16 (3.1) |
Other region | 387 (6.1) | 361 (6.2) | 26 (5.1) |
Abroad | 29 (0.5) | 24 (0.4) | 5 (1.0) |
Provision of intensive care (%) | Â | Â | Â |
No | 5,972 (94.4) | 5,510 (94.8) | 462 (90.6) |
Yes | 353 (5.6) | 305 (5.2) | 48 (9.4) |
Procedure type (%) | Â | Â | Â |
Minor diagnostic | 1,575 (24.9) | 1,480 (25.5) | 95 (18.6) |
Minor therapeutic | 2,103 (33.3) | 1,892 (32.5) | 211 (41.4) |
Major diagnostic | 63 (1.0) | 59 (1.0) | 4 (0.8) |
Major therapeutic | 2,133 (33.7) | 1,961 (33.7) | 172 (33.7) |
None | 451 (7.1) | 423 (7.3) | 28 (5.5) |
Number of comorbidities * | Â | Â | Â |
None | 929 (14.7) | 896 (15.4) | 33 (6.5) |
One | 838 (13.2) | 770 (13.2) | 68 (13.3) |
Two or more | 4,558 (72.1) | 4,149 (71.4) | 409 (80.2) |
Operative unit and hospital characteristics | Â | Â | Â |
Operative unit discipline (%) | Â | Â | Â |
General surgery | 896 (14.2) | 868 (14.9) | 28 (5.5) |
Geriatrics | 543 (8.6) | 508 (8.7) | 35 (6.9) |
Internal medicine | 2,703 (42.7) | 2,537 (43.6) | 166 (32.6) |
Orthopaedics/traumatology | 907 (14.3) | 820 (14.1) | 87 (17.1) |
Long-term/rehabilitation | 1,276 (20.2) | 1,082 (18.6) | 194 (38.0) |
Type of hospital (%) | Â | Â | Â |
Local Health Authority Hospital | 4,505 (71.2) | 4,185 (72.0) | 320 (67.2) |
Hospital Trust | 1,820 (28.8) | 1,630 (28.0) | 190 (32.8) |