Peselzon, Oleg

Toro Tole, David

Rissel, Chris

Kamat, Ameya

Maclachlan, Liam

Redmond, Michael

2024-11-15

The authors' goal was to perform a retrospective audit of all emergency cranial neurosurgery performed at the Royal Darwin Hospital in the first 5 years of the unit and to compile their data in a similar fashion to an earlier study titled "Emergency Neurosurgery in Darwin: Still the Generalist Surgeons' Responsibility," which was published in 2015.All emergency cranial neurosurgery performed by a neurosurgeon between 2017 and 2021 was identified. Data were extracted from the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre database. Statistical analyses were descriptive logistic regression performed using Stata version 15.1 software to examine factors associated with death.A total of 320 patients (42% Indigenous) underwent 427 emergency neurosurgeries. There were 35 emergency neurosurgeries in 2017 and 82 in 2021. The most common procedure performed was insertion of an external ventricular drain, followed by craniotomy and removal of intracranial hematoma. Mortality was 7.5% overall and 8.4% among patients with trauma. Only age proved to be a statistically significant independent risk factor for death (t = -2.95, p < 0.0041; OR 1.06, p = 0.02). Location, sex, injury severity, and presenting Glasgow Coma Scale score were not associated with death. Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients had similar outcomes.The data illustrate the importance of developing small but sustainable neurosurgical units in rural and remote areas. A dedicated neurosurgical unit at the Royal Darwin Hospital has led to an increase in the amount and variety of emergency neurosurgery performed in Darwin. Interstate transfers have reduced. This has tangible lifesaving and economic advantages.

1Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory.

1Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory.

2College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders NT, Darwin, Northern Territory; and.

1Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory.

3Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Brisbane Women's and Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

1Department of Neurosurgery, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory.

J Neurosurg . 2024 Nov 15:1-8. doi: 10.3171/2024.6.JNS232599. Online ahead of print.

1933-0693

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39546787/?otool=iaurydwlib

https://hdl.handle.net/10137/13820

establishing neurosurgical unit

global surgery

neurosurgical outcomes in rural Australia

rural and remote neurosurgery

Neurosurgery in Australia's Top End: the lifesaving advantages of developing sustainable neurosurgical care in rural and remote regions.

Journal Article

Publication