DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH ANAESTHESIA

A report is given of the 162 deaths associated with anaesthesia that occurred in 205,640 operations and anaesthetics from 1952 to 1962. The high incidence in the 0–20 years age group occurred probably because 65.5 per cent of these patients had operations for the correction of congenital cardiac defects. Males were more frequently affected than females and the pre-operative assessment of risk was poor or very poor in 87 per cent. The operation site was intrathoracic in 43.2 per cent, intra-abdominal in 26.5 per cent, and intracranial in 10.7 per cent. Common associated findings were congenital and acquired heart disease, extensive neoplasia and intra-abdominal emergencies. The three aetiological factors considered were anaesthesia, surgery and disease and the overall contribution of each factor was 1/3955, 1/2311, 1/1996 respectively. Each aetiological factor is analyzed and discussed.