A retrospective analysis of anesthesiologic complications in pediatric neurosurgery

Summary Background and objective: Different clinical and surgical factors can influence the occurrence of anesthesiologic complications in pediatric neurosurgery. Preoperative knowledge of these factors is of great importance in the application of safe anesthetics and a favorable surgical outcome. The objective was to establish the importance of clinical and surgical risk factors on the frequency of anesthesia complications in pediatric neurosurgery. Data and method: The research, from 1996 to 2000, involved 705 children, aged from 240 min, who were in the sitting position and when comorbidity was evident. Neither age nor the urgency of the operation or reoperation had any significant influence on the occurrence of anesthetic complications. Conclusion: The duration of anesthesia, the sitting position of the patient, and the presence of comorbidities significantly increase the risk of anesthesia complications in pediatric neurosurgery.