Impact of treatment delays on outcome of acute testicular torsion: a 15-year retrospective study

Abstract

Introduction

Preservation of the testicle is directly associated with the duration of torsion. The aim in this retrospective study was to identify factors that influence pre-and in-hospital times and measure the extent to which these times affect testicle survival.

Patients and methods

A retrospective review of 116 patients who underwent exploration for testicular torsion between 2000 and 2015. Patients were divided into orchiectomy and salvaged testicle groups. Times in patient management and clinical features were compared with Mann–Whitney, chi-squared, and Fisher exact tests. Multivariate logistical regression was used to identify independent factors associated with orchiectomy.

Results

The median prehospital time of 48 h (15.4–138 h) in the orchiectomy group was longer than the 2.4 h (1.6 h–5.2h) in the salvaged group. Patients examined by a general practitioner (GP) prior to presenting at hospital had a median prehospital time of 48 h, compared to 3 h for patients not examined before presentation at hospital. In-hospital times between admission and operation room, as well as times between ultrasonography and operation room, were also longer in the orchiectomy group. Previous GP consultation (OR = 27.26, 95% CI 2.32–320.59, p = .009), prehospital time (OR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.07, p = .003) and nausea (OR = 9.25, 95% IC 1.33–64.52, p = .025) were independent predictive factors associated with orchiectomy.

Conclusion

Prehospital time was a determining factor in orchiectomy. For each extra hour of prehospital delay, the risk of orchiectomy increased by 4%. The rate of orchiectomy was higher among patients who first consulted a GP.

Keywords:

• Testicular torsion
• general practitioner
• time factors
• orchiectomy
• emergency department

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Marta Cazorla Soult for her help and support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.