Nv. Carroll et al., COSTS INCURRED BY OUTPATIENT SURGICAL CENTERS IN MANAGING POSTOPERATIVE NAUSEA AND VOMITING, Journal of clinical anesthesia, 6(5), 1994, pp. 364-369
Study Objective: To estimate the financial costs incurred by outpatien
t surgical centers in managing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV
). Design: Prospective, observational study. Setting: 6 hospital-based
outpatient surgery centers. Patients: 211 adult patients undergoing o
utpatient surgery for laparoscopy, dilatation and curettage, knee arth
roscopy, or hernia repair. Measurements and Main Results: Of the 211 p
atients studied, 34 experienced PONV in the recovery room. For those p
atients experiencing PONV, personnel, supply, and drug costs for manag
ement of this condition averaged $14.94 per patient. In addition, PONV
increased the centers' operating costs by delaying patient discharge
by an average of 24 minutes. A minimum estimate of this cost, based on
nurses' wage rates, was $7.12. This estimate is appropriate only for
short-run considerations in outpatient surgery centers that operate at
low capacity. An appropriate valuation for long-run considerations an
d for centers operating near capacity is based on the revenue that cen
ters lose as a result of extended stays. Lost revenue was estimated to
be $415 per patient experiencing PONV. Conclusions: PONV substantiall
y increases the costs incurred by outpatient surgical centers.