A prospective study of factors associated with delayed discharge in school-aged children undergoing ward-based minor surgery.

This study found a high rate of post-operative overnight stay in a group of 93 children aged between 5 and 12 years admitted to a paediatric ward for day-case procedures. Those children detained were older, had had later operations, were more worried pre-operatively and had been less happy about going to school than were children discharged on the day of surgery. Social factors, maternal worries and pre-medication also predicted delayed discharge. At a follow-up there were no differences between the day-case and in-patient groups in terms of children's psychological outcome but difficulties associated with ward-based day-case surgery were highlighted.