Episode 604: Emergency laparotomy - a national clinical care standard

Emergency laparotomies are performed on thousands of Australians each year for critical conditions like bowel obstruction and peritonitis. It’s a high-risk procedure with a mortality rate of 6.9%.

Now, for the first time in Australia, a national clinical care standard has been published by Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. It’s to support clinicians and healthcare services to deliver best care and improve patient outcomes.

To talk to us about the standard is Professor David Watters AM OBE. He is a Distinguished (Alfred Deakin) Professor at Deakin University and Barwon Health, and Director of Surgery at Safer Care Victoria. I’m also joined by Dr Chuan-Whei Lee, Staff Specialist and Joint Clinical Lead of Perioperative Medicine at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Department of Critical Care at the University of Melbourne.

“The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.”