Deaths associated with anaesthesia

The incidence of deaths associated with anaesthesia at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for the period 1963-72 inclusive was 1:502. An analysis of the 408 deaths showed that more than half of them occurred in association with major cardiovascular and neurosurgical procedures. The number of deaths attributable to anaesthesia alone was 15 (3.7%). This was a marked reduction by comparison with the number in the previous decade (20.9%).