Impact of referral delays on dysphagia outcomes in a Saudi tertiary center

Table 2 Association between the time of referral of cases presented with dysphagia and the outcome of management, n (%)

	Final outcome					P value1
	The same (n = 19)	Improved (n = 103)	Worsening (n = 7)	Wrong referral (n = 4)	Died (n = 3)
Time of referral to clinical assessment by gastroenterology department in weeks (n = 133)	n = 18	n = 0	n = 0	n = 3	n = 2
≤ 2 hours (n = 72)	6 (8.3)	57 (79.2)	6 (8.3)	1 (1.4)	2 (2.8)
3-hour (n = 22)	4 (18.2)	18 (81.8)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)
> 4 hours (n = 39)	8 (20.5)	28 (71.8)	1 (2.6)	2 (5.1)	0 (0.0)	0.246
Time from referral to endoscopy in weeks (n = 132)	n = 18	n = 0	n = 0	n = 3	n = 1
≤ 2 hours (n = 65)	3 (4.6)	55 (84.6)	6 (9.2)	0 (0.0)	1 (1.5)
3-hour (n = 17)	6 (35.3)	10 (58.8)	0 (0.0)	1 (5.9)	0 (0.0)
> 4 hours (n = 50)	9 (18.0)	38 (76.0)	1 (2.0)	2 (4.0)	0 (0.0)	0.012
Time from referral to esophagogram in weeks (n = 60)	n = 11	n = 47	n = 0	n = 2	n = 0
≤ 2 hours (n = 30)	3 (10.0)	26 (86.7)	0 (0.0)	1 (3.3)	0 (0.0)
3-hour (n = 6)	3 (50.0)	3 (50.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)
> 4 hours (n = 24)	5 (20.8)	18 (75.0)	0 (0.0)	1 (4.2)	0 (0.0)	0.226
Time from clinical assessment to endoscopy in weeks (n = 129)	n = 18	n = 100	n = 7	n = 3	n = 1
≤ 2 hours (n = 95)	9 (9.5)	77 (81.1)	6 (6.3)	2 (2.1)	1 (1.1)
3-hour (n = 14)	6 (42.9)	6 (42.9)	1 (7.1)	1 (7.1)	0 (0.0)
> 4 hours (n = 20)	3 (15.0)	17 (85.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0.046
Time from clinical assessment to esophagogram in weeks (n = 50)	n = 10	n = 39	n = 0	n = 1	n = 0
≤ 2 hours (n = 29)	3 (10.3)	26 (89.7)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)
3-hour (n = 8)	4 (50.0)	4 (50.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)	0 (0.0)
> 4 hours (n = 13)	3 (23.1)	9 (69.2)	0 (0.0)	1 (7.7)	0 (0.0)	0.054

¹χ² test.

Total 32 cases lost to follow-up were removed from the analysis.