• F López-Soriano, F Rivas-López, and B Lajarín-Barquero.
• Servicio de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Comarcal del Noroeste, Murcia, España. Electronic address: francisco.lopez18@carm.es.
• Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim. 2013 Apr 1;60(4):197-203.

ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to systematically collect and analyse the frequency, type and severity of all untoward intraoperative anaesthetic-related problems in a hospital over a 6-month period.MethodsAn observational, systematic, prospective, and cross sectional study was conducted on the events and their risk factors. The study is based on a system in which anaesthesia-related data are recorded from all anaesthetic cases on a routine basis, including sedation and obstetric analgesia. The variables were demographic, procedural data, and a checklist with problem type and severity. Data were analysed using chi-square, Fisher's test, or Student's test. A P<.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThe frequency of intraoperative anaesthetic-related problems was 17.2%, with 1.3 anaesthetic problems per case, being 9 times more frequent the adverse effects with low severity grade. During anaesthesia, respiratory problems occurred in 13, circulatory problems in 8, and technical problems in 2 out of every 100 procedures. The factors associated with the patient in whom the anaesthetic problem occurred were: the use of general anaesthesia, supraumbilical surgery, and a higher preoperative anaesthetic risk.ConclusionsUse of a systematic intraoperative anaesthetic-related database with a checklist of problems and severity plays an important part in quality assurance strategies. An analysis of non-fatal problems provides a basis for establishing corrective strategies before significant morbidity occurs, and by separating the surgical and anaesthesia problems.Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

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