Total perioperative deaths within 30d (UK)

1:200 elective surgery

1:40 emergency surgery

Death

Related to anaesthesia

1:50 000

1:100 000 (ASA 1–2)

CVS

Cardiac arrest (GA)

Cardiac arrest (LA)

Cardiac arrest (spinal)

1:10 000–1:20 000

1:3000

1:3700

Mortality 1:15 000 –1:150 000

Respiratory

Aspiration (GA)

Mortality due to aspiration

Difficult intubation

Failure to intubate

Failure to intubate and ventilate

1:3000

1:60 000

1:50

1:500

1:5000

x4 in emergencies, x3 in obstetrics

1:250 in obstetrics

Neurological

Postop cognitive dysfunction (>60yr)

1:4 at 1wk

1:10 at 1 month

1:100 permanent

Irrespective of regional/general anaesthesia

Postoperative delirium

Cerebrovascular accident

Awareness with pain

Awareness without pain

1:7 general surgery

(up to 1:2 elderly #NOF)

1:50 if previous stroke

1:100 general surgery

1:20 head and neck surgery

1:20 carotid surgery

1:3000

1:300

1:700 in non-surgical population

Miscellaneous

Anaphylaxis

Pain after major surgery

Pain after day surgery

Nausea and vomiting (PONV)

Sore throat

Drowsiness

Dizziness

Headache

1:10 000

1:10 severe

1:3 moderate

1:2

1:3

1:5 tracheal tube

1:25 laryngeal mask

1:10 facemask

1:2

1:5

1:5

Female:male 3:1

Dental damage

All oral trauma post-intubation

Deafness

Loss of vision

Peripheral nerve injury (GA)

1:100 overall

(1:4500 requiring intervention)

1:20

1:10 000 GA

1:7 spinal (transient)

1:125 000 GA

1:100 cardiac surgery

1:300 ulnar neuropathy

1:1000 other nerves

Regional

Paraplegia after neuraxial block

Permanent injury (spinal)

Permanent injury (epidural)

Permanent nerve injury (peripheral block)

Transient nerve injury (spinal)

Transient nerve injury (epidural)

Transient radicular irritation (spinal)

1:100 000

1:45 000 –1: 100 000

1:16 000 –1:32 000

1:5000 –1: 30 000

1:125–1:2500

1:1000–1:10 000

up to 1:3 (lidocaine/mepivacaine)

Epidural abscess

Cardiac arrest (spinal)

Cardiac arrest (epidural)

Cardiac arrest (regional block)

Cardiac arrest (LA)

Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH)

PDPH in day surgery

Backache

1:2000–1:7500

(1:10 000 spontaneous)

1: 3700

1:10 000

1:10 000

1:3000

1:100

1:10

1:5 if <1hr surgery

1:2 if >4hr surgery

Systemic LA toxicity

Eye blocks

 Retrobulbar haemorrhage

 Brainstem anaesthesia

 Globe perforation

 Ptosis (transient)

1:10 000 epidural

1:1500 regional blocks

1:250–1:20 000

1:700

1:10 000

1:2 at 24hr

1:5 at 1 month

Obstetric—regional

Temporary nerve damage (epidural or spinal)

Permanent nerve damage >6 months (epidural or spinal)

Paraplegia/ permanent severe injury

Vertebral canal haematoma

1:1000

1:13 000

1:250 000

1:150 000 epidural

1:200 000 spinal

(1:1 000 000 spontaneous)