Evaluation of the complications after regional anesthesia

Çalışkan A. Evaluation of The Complications After Regional Anesthesia. Bulent Ecevit Faculty of Medicine, Anesthesiology and Reanimation Thesis. Zonguldak 2012.We retrospectively analyzed complications of patients operated under regional anesthesia from January 2009 to December 2010 years. We reached information of 2000 patients in this period. Only 1568 patients? complications were analyzed who hadn?t gone general anesthesia for additional anesthetic method. Complications were grouped as preoperative, perioperative and postoperative complications. In our study, it is found out that 585 of 1568 patients (37,3%) have had complications related to regional anesthesia. The most reported complication was hypotension with a rate of 16,8% (n=263). Other complications were bradycardia 9,5% (n=149), nausea and vomiting 15% (n=235), dysrhythmia 0,5% (n=8), cardiac arrest 0,2% (n=3), accidental dura puncture 1,1% (n=17), hypertension 2,7% (n=42), postdural puncture headache 0,2% (n=3), excessive postoperative pain 0,9% (n=14), motor deficite 0,3% (n=5), sensorial deficite 0,1% (n=2) and shivering 0,1% (n=1) . The complication rate of in female patients were 49,2% (n=342) whereas male patients? rate was 27,8% (n=243) (p<0,001). Bradycardia rate (n=103) was higher in men, and hypotension (n=189), vomiting (n=189) and excessive agitation (n=31) was reported mostly in women. The complications were reported in 123 patients (35,2%) of 349 patients over 65 years old. The most reported complication was hypotension with a rate of 12,6% (n=44). Other complications were nausea and vomiting 3% (n=12), bradycardia 11,7% (n=41), hypertension 4,6% (n=16), dysrhythmia 1,4% (n=5), cardiac arrest 0,6% (n=2) and accidental dura puncture 2,6% (n=11). There wasn?t significant difference between the patients over 65 years old according to sex (p =0,093). The rates of patients who were not in need of therapy for complications were 0,7% in bradycardic and 0,4% in hypotensive patients.In conclusion, the most reported complication was hypotension in all patients.