[Deaths attributable to anesthesia: a survey in Icelandic hospitals.]

During the past 50 years many studies have been carried out to investigate deaths attributable to anesthesia. It can by difficult to interpret and compare the outcome as studies differ considerably in the methodology employed. However the trend seems to be that anesthetic mortality has indeed decreased over the years. No investigation of this kind is known to have taken place in Iceland. Therefore it was decided to conduct a survey in Icelandic hospitals in order to make comparison with these studies in other countries.

This prospective survey was carried out in Icelandic hospitals during the five year period from 1992 to 1996. A letter was sent to all anesthesiologists in the country and also other health care professionals known to administer anesthesia. The purpose and the protocol were explained. At each year during the study period the chairmen of the departments of anesthesiology in the larger hospitals and those who administered anesthesia in the smaller hospitals were contacted in order to seek information as to whether any deaths due to anesthesia had taken place during the year and the number of anesthesias performed. The chief anesthesia nurses in the larger hospitals as well as the operating room nurses in other hospitals were asked if they were aware of any such deaths. The Directorate of Health was contacted to find out if any complaints had been filed during this period related to deaths under anesthesia.

No reports of deaths came from individuals. There were 14 hospitals which proveded information. During the study period 134,762 anesthesias were performed. No death was considered to be caused directly by anesthesia. No complaints related to anesthetic deaths were filed with the Directorate of Health.

This study documents a low anesthetic mortality and compares favorably with results in other countries.