Primary anaesthetic deaths in Western Australia from 1985-2008: causation and preventability

This paper reports on the causes and preventability of primary anaesthetic deaths in Western Australia between 1985 and 2008. In Western Australia, it is a legal requirement to report all deaths that occur within 48 hours of an anaesthetic and later deaths if an anaesthetic complication is implicated. A committee assesses whether an anaesthetic factor caused the death (a primary anaesthetic death) or contributed to the death (an anaesthesia-related death). Of the 2361 deaths reported to the Committee over the 24-year period, 102 were considered anaesthesia-related and of these, 53 were considered a primary anaesthetic death. There were six main causes of primary anaesthetic death: failure to oxygenate; aspiration of gastric contents; adverse drug reaction; dose-related drug effect leading to an adverse cardiovascular event; intravascular injection of local anaesthetic; and injury related to an anaesthetic procedure or invasive monitoring. The most common cause was a dose-related drug effect leading to an adverse cardiovascular event. The medical condition of the patient was considered a significant contributing factor in 69% of the deaths and 72% were considered preventable. In the second 12-year period, there were fewer deaths overall (15 vs 38), proportionately fewer deaths related to failure to oxygenate (one vs six) and proportionately more deaths related to aspiration of gastric contents (four vs two). However, the percentage of deaths considered preventable was similar. These findings can be used to advise patients on anaesthetic risks, to educate anaesthetists about preventable deaths and to encourage the development of even safer anaesthetic drugs and techniques.