Frequency of cardiac arrest in adults during anesthetic procedures at the Hospital de Clínicas of the National University of Asuncion

Abstract

Introduction: Cardiorespiratory arrest in the perioperative period is an event that requires chest compression maneuvers and/or cardiac defibrillation and can occur from admission to the operating room until discharge from the post-anesthesia recovery room. Objective: Determine the frequency of cardiorespiratory arrest during surgical procedures at the Hospital de Clínicas. Methodology: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study carried out based on 8455 anesthetic records. Results: 9 cases of cardiorespiratory arrests were reported (0.1%). During emergency surgeries, 6 of the cases occurred and during scheduled surgeries, 3 of the cases occurred. 7 cases were related to hypovolemic shock. 1 case was found related to anesthetic cause (hypoxia). All cases were in patients with general anesthesia. The mortality found was 77%. Conclusion: The frequency of cardiorespiratory arrest was 0.1%, being more common during emergency surgeries under general anesthesia, with the main causes being surgical in origin, especially hypovolemic shock.