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Anesthesia-related mortality in pediatric patients: a systematic review

Leopoldo Palheta Gonzalez1, Wangles Pignaton, Priscila Sayuri Kusano

  • 1Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, AM, Brazil.

Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
|April 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric anesthesia-related mortality is low and similar globally. However, perioperative mortality is higher in Brazil and developing nations, often due to airway and cardiocirculatory events.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pediatric critical care
  • Public health

Background:

  • Perioperative and anesthesia-related mortality in pediatric patients remains a significant concern globally.
  • Variations in mortality rates exist between developed and developing countries.
  • Understanding trends and causes is crucial for improving patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and evaluate the incidence and causes of perioperative and anesthesia-related mortality in pediatric patients.
  • To compare mortality rates in Brazil with those in developed and developing countries worldwide.
  • To identify key risk factors and causes of mortality.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review of EMBASE, PubMed, LILACS, and SciElo databases (up to 2011).
  • Analysis of 20 selected trials, extracting data on patient numbers, time of death, and mortality rates.
  • Comparison of anesthesia-related and perioperative mortality rates across different regions and time periods.

Main Results:

  • Anesthesia-related mortality rates are similar (<1 per 10,000) in Brazil and developed countries, showing a declining trend.
  • Developing countries exhibit higher anesthesia-related mortality rates (2.4-3.3 per 10,000).
  • Pediatric perioperative mortality rates have increased, with higher rates in Brazil (9.8 per 10,000) and developing countries (10.7-15.9 per 10,000) compared to developed nations.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric anesthesia-related mortality rates are comparable in Brazil and developed countries.
  • Pediatric perioperative mortality rates are notably higher in Brazil and developing countries.
  • Airway management issues and cardiocirculatory events are primary causes of mortality, highlighting areas for targeted prevention strategies.

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