The 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri-operative cardiac arrest. An activity survey estimated UK paediatric anaesthesia annual caseload as 390,000 cases, 14% of the UK total. Paediatric peri-operative cardiac arrests accounted for 104 (12%) reports giving an incidence of 3 in 10,000 anaesthetics (95%CI 2.2-3.3 per 10,000). The incidence of peri-operative cardiac arrest was highest in neonates (27, 26%), infants (36, 35%) and children with congenital heart disease (44, 42%) and most reports were from tertiary centres (88, 85%). Frequent precipitants of cardiac arrest in non-cardiac surgery included: severe hypoxaemia (20, 22%); bradycardia (10, 11%); and major haemorrhage (9, 8%). Cardiac tamponade and isolated severe hypotension featured prominently as causes of cardiac arrest in children undergoing cardiac surgery or cardiological procedures. Themes identified at review included: inappropriate choices and doses of anaesthetic drugs for intravenous induction; bradycardias associated with high concentrations of volatile anaesthetic agent or airway manipulation; use of atropine in the place of adrenaline; and inadequate monitoring. Overall quality of care was judged by the panel to be good in 64 (62%) cases, which compares favourably with adults (371, 52%). The study provides insight into paediatric anaesthetic practice, complications and peri-operative cardiac arrest.
Keywords: NAP7; anaesthesia; cardiac arrest; paediatric.
© 2024 The Authors. Anaesthesia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association of Anaesthetists.