• Iren Sellbrant, Bengt Nellgård, Jon Karlsson, Johanna Albert, and Jan G Jakobsson.
• Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden.
• Acta Anaesthesiol Scand. 2024 Mar 1; 68 (3): 402409402-409.

BackgroundWrist fracture is one of most common fractures frequently requiring surgical anaesthesia. There is limited information related to the anaesthetic practice and quality including 30-day mortality associated with wrist fracture in Sweden in recent years.AimThe aim of the present register-based study was to investigate the anaesthesia techniques used and quality indices including 30-day mortality associated with wrist fracture surgery in Sweden during the period 2018-2021.Materials And MethodsAll fracture repositions, and surgical interventions related to wrist fracture requiring anaesthesia in patients aged >18 years registered in the Swedish Perioperative Register (SPOR) between 2018 and 2021 were included in the analysis. Information on age, ASA class, anaesthesia technique, severe operative events, most reported side-effects during recovery room stay and all-cause 30-day mortality was collected.ResultsThe data set included 25,147 procedures split into 14,796 females and 10,252 males (missing information n = 99) with a mean age of 52.9 ± 18.7 years and a significant age difference between females and males, 60.3 ± 15.4 and 42.2 ± 17.7 years, respectively. Mean age and ASA class increased during the study period (2018-2021), from 52.8 ± 18.6 to 54.0 ± 18.4 and ASA class 3-5 from 8.1% to 9.4% (p < .001 and p < .041, respectively). General anaesthesia (GA), GA combined with regional anaesthesia (RA), RA with or without sedation and sedation only was used in 41%, 13%, 40% and 6% of procedures, respectively, with minor changes over the study period. Pain at arrival in the recovery room (RR), (3.4%), severe pain during RR stay (2.1%), hypothermia (1.4%), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) (1.2%) and urinary retention (0.5%) were the most reported side-effects during the RR stay. (RA) was associated with significantly lower occurrence of pain and PONV, and shorter RR stay, compared with GA (p < .001). The all-cause 30-day mortality was low (19 of 25,147 (0.08%)) with no differences over the period studied or anaesthetic technique.ConclusionGeneral anaesthesia or general anaesthesia combined with regional anaesthesia are the most used anaesthetic techniques for wrist fracture procedures in Sweden. Recovery room pain, PONV, hypothermia and urinary retention is reported in overall low frequencies, with no change over the period studied, but in lower frequencies for regional anaesthesia. All-cause 30-day mortality was low; 0.08% with no change over time or between anaesthetic techniques. Thus, the present quality review based on SPOR data supports high quality of perioperative anaesthesia care.© 2023 The Authors. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.

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