Cardiac arrest related to anesthesia. Contributing factors in infants and children
M. R. Salem, E. J. Bennett, J. F. Schweiss, A. Baraka, F. Y. Dalal and V. J. Collins
A collaborative retrospective study undertaken to investigate cardiac
arrest related to pediatric anesthesia in seven institutions between 1960
and 1972 showed 73 instances in which anesthesia was thought to have been
either directly responsible or had played an important contributing role.
About two thirds of these patients were successfully resuscitated. Cases
were found to fit into one of two major categories: cardiovascular and
respiratory. Among cardiovascular factors, blood loss, preoperative
anemia, inappropriate administration of succinylcholine, and accidental
administration of potassium were important contributing causes. Respiratory
factors included failure to maintain a patent airway and ventilatory
problems. In retrospect, most of these accidents were preventable. Such
information should indicate where research emphasis needs to be placed and
that our current methods of teaching and training need to be reevaluated.
