[Structured data collection during neonatal anesthesia: Neo Somno Log - a self-developed digital event tracker]

Documentation of anesthetic care in Hungary remains heterogeneous, with the scope of recorded data largely determined by local institutional protocols. Anaesthesia records are predominantly paper-based, which, with variability in data content, hinders uniform, structured, and systematic data processing. Anesthesia in newborns is associated with increased risk due to physiological immaturity and ongoing postnatal adaptation, therefore the standardized and systematic capture of perioperative data is essential to improve quality of care and enhance patient safety.

This single-center study aimed to develop an electronic neonatal surgical event log (Neo Somno Log) and to evaluate its feasibility and applicability in a real-world surgical setting.

The data structure and functional specifications of the event log were defined through iterative expert consultations. Initially, an Excel-based prototype was developed, followed by the implementation of a platform-independent application. The system was tested between 2022 and 2025 at the Semmelweis University, Pediatric Center, during the anesthetic management of newborns.

The application enables the structured capture of a total of 864 datapoints, including 152 baseline variables, 117 adverse, 416 anesthesia-related, 62 medication-related, 74 surgical, and 43 blood gas events. Data are annotated with timestamps across five domains. 167 newborns (body weight <6 kg) undergoing general anesthesia were enrolled in the pilot. The median body weight at surgery was 2900 g. The cohort included 94 abdominal, 21 neurosurgical, 22 thoracic, 14 ophthalmologic, and 12 other surgical procedures.

The Neo Somno Log facilitates real-time, structured digital data collection, enabling detailed analysis of intraoperative processes, systematic quality assessment and feedback into clinical practice.

Given the physiological vulnerability of newborns undergoing anesthesia, structured and standardized documentation of intraoperative events is essential. The Neo Somno Log provides a practical, scalable solution for data capture that can contribute to improved patient safety and quality in resource limited settings. Orv Hetil. 2026; 167(35): 1375-1383.