Perioperative Emergencies: Who, What, When, Where, Why?

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Perioperative Medicine
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Perioperative mortality rates have decreased, shifting focus to critical events during anesthesia.
• Data on anesthesia emergencies, termed STAT calls, are limited in adult hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the causes of STAT calls at a major academic medical center.
• To determine which surgical procedures and patient comorbidities elevate the risk of STAT calls.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective observational study design.
• Analysis of 92 STAT calls from 58,547 anesthetic cases over one year.
• Inclusion of patient demographics, comorbidities, and surgical service data.

Main Results:

• The incidence of STAT calls was 0.16%.
• Cardiac arrest was the most frequent cause, followed by respiratory compromise.
• General, thoracic, oral/maxillofacial, and vascular surgeries were associated with higher STAT call rates.
• Hypertension, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease increased STAT call risk.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac arrest is the primary etiology for anesthesia STAT calls.
• Specific surgical specialties and patient comorbidities significantly correlate with an increased risk of these critical events.