Anesthesia-related cardiac arrest in children: the Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The Thai Anesthesia Incidents study (THAI Study) is the first national study of anesthesia outcomes during anesthesia practice in Thailand. The authors extracted data of 25,098 pediatric cases from the THAI Study in order to examine the incidence, suspected causes, contributory factors, and suggested corrective strategies associated with anesthesia-related cardiac arrest. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A multi-centered prospective descriptive study was conducted among 20 hospitals across Thailand over a year between March 1, 2003 and February 28, 2004. Data of cardiac arrests in children aged 15 years and younger were collected during anesthesia, in the recovery room and 24 hours postoperative period, and reviewed independently by at least two reviewers. RESULTS: Incidence of anesthesia- related cardiac arrest was 5.1 per 10,000 anesthetics, with 46% mortality rate. Infants accounted for 61% of cases. Incidences of overall cardiac arrest and anesthesia-related arrest were significantly higher in infants than older children and in children with ASA physical status 3-5 than those with ASA physical status 1-2. Most of the anesthesia-related arrests occurred in the operating room (61%) during induction or maintenance of anesthesia (84%). Respiratory-related cardiac arrest was the most common suspected cause of anesthesia-related cardiac arrest. Improving supervision, additional training, practice guidelines, efficient blood bank, equipment maintenance, and quality assurance monitoring are suggested corrective strategies to improve the quality of care in pediatric anesthesia. CONCLUSION: The incidence of anesthesia-related cardiac arrest was 5.1:10,000 anesthetics. Major risk factors were children younger than 1 year of age and ASA 3-5. The identifications of airway management and medication-related problems as the main causes of anesthesia-related cardiac arrest have important implications for preventive strategies.

Perioperative desaturation and risk factors in general anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: Despite advances in anesthetic technique, the incidence of perioperative desaturation in general anesthesia has remained high. Knowledge on factors associated with intraoperative desaturation is relatively scanty. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the distribution of time dependent intraoperative desaturation and factors predicting perioperative desaturation. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective observational analytic study was conducted. One thousand and ninety three patients schedule for elective surgery under general anesthesia (GA) were enrolled. Exclusion criteria were patients with preoperative arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) < or = 95%, pregnant women, obvious difficult airway and those requiring mechanical ventilation postoperatively. Desaturation was defined as oxygen saturation < or = 95% for > or = 10 seconds. RESULTS: Among 1093 eligible cases, 30 cases (2.74%) developed intraoperative desaturation. The probability of desaturation during induction, maintenance, and emergence were 0.55% (6/1093), 2.01% (22/1093), and 0.18% (2/1093), respectively. Occurrences of desaturation at the recovery room (RR) were noted in 224 patients (20.49%). Younger, obese patients, snorers, and lower respiratory tract infection were significant high-risk groups of intraoperative desaturation. Elderly, obese patients, snorers, positive history of pulmonary disease, modified Aldrete's score < or = 8, and duration of GA > or = 180 minutes predicted desaturation at RR. CONCLUSION: Obesity and snorers were the high-risk groups of perioperative desaturation. Elderly patients are at lower risk of desaturation than children intraoperatively, but at a higher risk in the postoperative period Higher FiO2 should be given to high-risk patients during the intraoperative period. Desaturation can still occur at RR, even in patients who received oxygen. Pulse oximeter monitoring should be continued throughout RR care.

The Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI study) of ambulatory anesthesia: II. Anesthetic profiles and adverse events.

BACKGROUND: There is a continuing trend to have more elective surgery performed on an outpatient basis. OBJECTIVE: To determine anesthetic profiles and adverse events in practice of ambulatory anesthesia for elective surgery in different levels of hospitals across Thailand. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective descriptive study was conducted in 20 hospitals comprising seven university, five regional four general and four district hospitals across Thailand. Consecutive patients undergoing anesthesia for elective surgery were included. The included patients, classified as outpatients, were selected and extracted for summary of the result by using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The authors reported 7786 outpatients receiving anesthesia for elective surgery. The majority of patients were in ASA class 1 and 2 (96.2%) while the rest were in ASA class 3 (3.8%). Nearly 90% of the ASA class 3 patients were in university hospitals. The majority of patients (83.1%) did not receive premedication. Diazepam was used more frequently (11.5% vs. 0.1%) than other drugs. Noninvasive blood pressure monitoring and pulse oximetry were used in greater than 90%, while electrocardiogram (EKG) was used in 67.2% and end tidal CO2 in only 6.8%. The three most common anesthetic techniques were general anesthesia (including inhalation anesthetics), total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), and monitored anesthesia care (MAC). Regional anesthesia was performed in 12% of cases. The three most common regional anesthetic techniques were brachial plexus block (7.1%), spinal anesthesia (2.21%), and other peripheral nerve blocks (2.06%). Propofol was the most common drug for induction. Succinylcholine was used for intubation in 8.8%. The three most common nondepolaring neuromuscular blocking agents were atracurium, cisatracurium, and vecuronium. Fentanyl was the most common drug used among opioids. The three most common volatile anesthetics were sevoflurane, halothane, and isolurane. Lidocaine was the most frequently used in 29.76% of cases, while bupivacaine in 7.9% and ropivacaine only in 0.05%. The majority of the events relating to respiratory system were hypoxia or oxygen desaturation (18:10,000), reintubation (2.6:10,000) and difficult intubation (2.6:10,000), pulmonary aspiration (2.6:10,000), and esophageal intubation (1.3:10,000). Other adverse events included awareness (1.3:10,000), suspected myocardial infarction or ischemia (1.3:10,000), and drug error (1.3:10,000). Five patients (0.06%) received unplanned hospital admission. No patients developed cardiac arrest or died. CONCLUSION: The incidence of major adverse events was low in ambulatory anesthesia for elective surgery when compared to the incidence in general surgical population. The majority of the events occurred in the respiratory system. The authors did not find any complications relating to regional anesthesia. Despite a low incidence of adverse events in ambulatory anesthesia, anesthesia personnel who are responsible for ambulatory anesthesia should have adequate knowledge and skills in selection and preparation of the patients. Therefore, a system of preanesthesia evaluation is very important.

Pediatric anesthesia adverse events: the Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study) database of 25,098 cases.

BACKGROUND: The Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study) is the first national study of anesthesia outcomes during anesthesia practice in Thailand. The authors extracted data of 25,098 pediatric cases from THAI Study. OBJECTIVE: To report patient, surgical, and anesthetic profiles in order to determine the incidences of adverse events and their related factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A multi-centered prospective descriptive study was conducted among 20 hospitals across Thailand over a year from March 1, 2003 to February 28, 2004. Data in children aged 15 years and younger describing practices and adverse events were collected during anesthesia, in the recovery room and 24 hours postoperative period. RESULTS: Infants (0-1 year) had a significantly higher rate of adverse events compared with adults (4.6% versus 1.2%). Desaturation was the most common adverse event. The adverse events happened mostly during anesthesia (67%). Infants had significantly higher incidences of delayed detection of esophageal intubation, desaturation, reintubation, cardiac arrest, death, and drug error than older children and adults. Incidences of desaturation, reintubation, difficult intubation, coma/convulsion, cardiac arrest, and death were significantly higher in children with ASA physical status 3-5 than those with ASA physical status 1-2. CONCLUSION: Infants are prone to higher adverse events compared with older children and adults. Main adverse events were respiratory-related and they occurred mostly during anesthesia.

The Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study) of anesthetic outcomes: I. Description of methods and populations.

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE: Since anesthesia, unlike medical or surgical specialties, does not constitute treatment, The Royal College of Anesthesiologists of Thailand host the Thai Anesthesia Incidents Study (THAI Study) of anesthetic outcomes to determine factors related to anesthesia related adverse events. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective descriptive study of occurrence screening was conducted in 20 hospitals comprised of 7 university, 4 general and 4 district hospitals across Thailand. Anesthesia personnels were required to fill up patient-related, surgical-related, anesthesia-related variables and adverse outcomes on a strutured data entry form. The data included preanesthetic evaluation intraoperative period and 24 hr postoperative period. Adverse events specific form was recorded when adverse events occurred. All data were keyed in data management unit with double entry technique and descriptive statistics was used in the first phase of this study. RESULTS: A total of 163403 consecutive cases were recorded in one year. The mean (S.D.) of age, weight and height of patients were 38.6(2.3) yrs, 53.9(17.7) kgs and 153.4(22.7) cm respectively. There were more female (52.9%) than male (47. 1%) patients with ASA PS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 = 50.8%, 36.3%, 10.7%, 2.0%, 0.2% respectively. Hypertension (11.6%), anemia (7.7%) and diabetes melitus (6.8%) were the three most common abnormalities in preanesthetic history taking. Mallampati score of 111870 patients grade 1, 2, 3, 4 were 54.0%, 39.7%, 5.6%, 0.7% and laryngoscopic grade 1, 2, 3, 4 of 74888 patients were 81.0%, 15.5%, 3.0% and 0.5% respectively. CONCLUSION: The first phase of THAI study epidemiological project can represent both the anesthesia and surgical profiles in Thailand. The collected data available should be useful for the improvement of the quality of anesthesia, guidelines for clinical practices, medical education and for further research.