Characteristics of children aged 2-17 years undergoing anaesthesia in Danish hospitals 2005-2015: a national...

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Pediatric Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Paediatric anaesthesia demands tailored approaches due to children's unique physiology and cognitive development.
• Understanding anaesthesia practices and outcomes in diverse pediatric populations is crucial for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the population characteristics and anaesthesia practices in children aged 2-17 years.
• To compare anaesthesia approaches and complication rates between younger (2-5 years) and older (6-17 years) pediatric age groups.

Main Methods:

• Observational cohort study utilizing data from the Danish Anaesthesia Database (2005-2015).
• Inclusion of variables: age, sex, comorbidities, indications for anaesthesia, practice of anaesthesia, and complications.
• Analysis stratified by two age groups: 2-5 years and 6-17 years.

Main Results:

• A total of 32,840 children (2-5 years) and 91,418 children (6-17 years) were analyzed.
• Younger children were more likely to receive anaesthesia at university hospitals (50% vs. 36%) and for non-surgical procedures (24% vs. 8%).
• General anaesthesia was prevalent in both groups; inhalational agents were more common in younger children (49% vs. 15%), while older children more frequently received total intravenous anaesthesia (50% vs. 83%). Regional anaesthesia was infrequently used.
• Complication rates were low: 3.3% for 2-5 year olds and 3.7% for 6-17 year olds.

Conclusions:

• Younger children (2-5 years) compared to older children (6-17 years) received anaesthesia more frequently for non-surgical reasons, at university hospitals, and with inhalational agents.
• Overall complication rates associated with paediatric anaesthesia are rare.
• The study highlights age-specific differences in anaesthesia utilization and techniques within the pediatric population.