Motor Vehicle Crash Risk among Adults Undergoing General Surgery: A Retrospective Case-crossover Study

ConclusionsUsing population-based crash and hospital discharge data, the incidence of motor vehicle crashes over a 28-day period did not change on average before compared to after surgery. The authors provide data on crash risk after surgery and highlight specific populations at risk.Editor ’s PerspectiveWhat We Already Know about This TopicThere are limited data to guide return to driving recommendations for patients undergoing surgeryIt remains unclear whether patients have an increased risk of motor vehicle crashes in the first few weeks after surgery compared to before surgeryWhat This Article Tells Us That Is NewIn a cohort of 70,722 drivers in New Jersey undergoing inpatient or outpatient general surgery and discharged to home, the number of crashes in the 4 weeks after surgery (263, 0.37%) was similar to the number of crashes over a 4-week period before surgery (279, 0.39%)Consistent with nonsurgical populations, specific demographic groups were at higher risk of a crash after surgery
Source: Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research