Assessing Compliance to National Guidelines for Pediatric Wrist and Ankle Fractures in a District General Hospital

Pediatric ankle and wrist fractures are very common injuries encountered by orthopedic departments. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence has published guidelines that should be adhered to when treating these common fractures. This audit included 560 patients that have sustained wrist and ankle fractures between 2008 and 2019 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Burton (QHB) that required surgical management. The results show that 99.7% (478/479) wrist fractures and 70.8% (57/81) of ankle fractures received surgical management within the timeframe outlined by NICE. This audit has shown that QHB has been successfully treating wrist fractures within the guidelines set by NICE but has failed to meet the standards for ankle fractures.