Comparison of nighttime and daytime operation on outcomes of supracondylar humeral fractures: A prospective observational study

Supracondylar humeral fractures are seen in children and treatment is usually closed reduction and percutaneous pinning (CRPP). This surgery can be performed at night, depending on its urgency. Fatigue and sleep deprivation can impact performance of doctors during night shifts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between night shifts postoperative morbidity and mortality of supracondylar fracture operations compared to daytime procedures. This prospective observational study included 94 patients who were aged 5 to 12 years with ASA I to III who had supracondylar humeral fractures, underwent CRPP under general anesthesia. Patients were stratified by the time of surgery using time of induction of anesthesia as the starting time of the procedure, into 2 groups: day (07:30 am–06:29 pm) and night (06:30 pm–07:29 am). In total, 82 patients completed the study: 43 in Group Day and 39 in Group Night. The operation duration in Group Night (114.66 ± 29.46 minutes) was significantly longer than in Group Day (84.32 ± 25.9 minutes) (P = .0001). Operation duration (OR: 0.007; P = .0001) and morbidities (OR: 0.417; P = .035) were independent risk factors in Group Night. Children who had supracondylar humeral fractures, undergoing urgent CRPP surgery, in-hospital mortality was associated with the time of day at which the procedure was performed. Patient safety is critically important for pediatric traumatic patient population. Therefore, we suggested to increase the number of healthcare workers and improve the education and experience of young doctors during night shifts.