Should I stay or should I go: an assessment of criteria for safe day of surgery discharge of displaced supracondylar humerus fractures

Abstract

Immobilization type and in-hospital observation following surgical management of displaced supracondylar fractures are subject to surgeon preference and training. Our goal was to determine criteria for immediate discharge and optimal type of immobilization. Medical records of 661 patients with type III, IV or flexion-type displaced supracondylar humerus fractures treated at a level 1 pediatric trauma center from January 2013 to September 2019 were reviewed. Patients were separated into ‘admission appropriate’ (AA = 113) and ‘discharge appropriate’ (DA = 548) sub-cohorts. Neurovascular deficit at presentation (P < 0.001), post-operative physical exam deterioration (P < 0.001), age (P < 0.001) and post-operative immobilization modality (P = 0.02) were significantly different between AA and DA groups. When comparing patients who presented with neurologic deficit to those neurovascularly intact, there was a significant difference in whether circumferential immobilization was used post-operatively (P < 0.001), IV medication need (P < 0.001), discharge or admission (P < 0.001), neurologic decline (P < 0.001), return to ED (P = 0.008) and vascular compromise (P = 0.05). Twenty-four of the 56 (43%) patients who were AA and had no neurovascular finding on presentation had their immobilization adjusted (bivalved or loosened) to accommodate for swelling overnight. Only 1 was initially maintained in a splint or bivalved cast; the other 23 were initially maintained post-operatively in circumferential immobilization (P = 0.01). Our findings suggest that patients with intact neurovascular exams at presentation are candidates for early discharge, and splinting or bivalved casting may be preferable, especially in patients who are discharged.