Billing J S, Wells F C
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Leeds General Infirmary, UK.
Thorax. 1996 Sep;51(9):903-6. doi: 10.1136/thx.51.9.903.
Patients admitted for resection of lung tumours frequently experience lengthy delays in diagnosis and preoperative investigations. This study was conducted to quantify this delay between presentation and definitive treatment and to assess the factors responsible for such a delay.
All patients undergoing lung resection for a tumour at a single surgical unit in 1993 were studied. The date of each consultation, investigation, and referral was identified, and the extent of any delay determined.
The mean total delay from presentation to operation was 109 days. Within this period an average of one month occurred before referral to a respiratory specialist who then spent two months investigating the patient. After referral to a surgeon, surgery took place within a mean interval of 24 days.
These delays to definitive treatment appear unacceptable. Points at which the efficiency of the diagnostic process could be improved are discussed. The length of delay did not correlate with tumour stage in this study.
因肺部肿瘤切除术入院的患者在诊断和术前检查方面常常经历长时间的延误。本研究旨在量化从就诊到最终治疗之间的这种延误，并评估造成这种延误的因素。
对1993年在单个外科手术单元接受肺部肿瘤切除术的所有患者进行了研究。确定了每次会诊、检查和转诊的日期，并确定了任何延误的程度。
从就诊到手术的平均总延误时间为109天。在此期间，平均有一个月的时间在转诊给呼吸专科医生之前，而呼吸专科医生随后花费两个月对患者进行检查。转诊给外科医生后，手术平均在24天内进行。
这些到最终治疗的延误似乎是不可接受的。讨论了可以提高诊断过程效率的关键点。在本研究中，延误时间的长短与肿瘤分期无关。
