[Anesthesias for the youngest and the oldest: pediatric and geriatric practice in Catalonia, Spain].
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this arm of the ANESCAT 2003 study was to analyze the characteristics of the youngest and oldest patients receiving anesthesia in Catalonia, Spain, and the procedures for which they require it.


METHODS
We analyzed data from questionnaires pertaining to pediatric (under age 14 years) and geriatric patients (older than age 65 years).


RESULTS
Pediatric patients underwent 6.3% of all anesthetic procedures and patients over 65 years old accounted for 32.9% of the sample population. Two of every 3 pediatric patients were males, whereas 55% of patients over age 65 years were females. The most frequently performed interventions requiring anesthesia in patients under 14 years of age were tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy (19.3%), nonsurgical procedures (11.5%), circumcision (10.6%), inguinal herniorrhaphy (8.3%), and appendectomy (4.2%). The most common procedures in elderly patients were cataract extraction (31.9%), nonsurgical procedures (9.5%), inguinal herniorrhaphy (4.4%), total knee replacement (3.6%), transurethral bladder surgery (3.2%), and repair of femoral neck fractures (2.6%). Because of the high incidence of appendectomy in patients between 8 and 14 years old and of femoral neck fractures in patients over 85 years old, the rate of emergency anesthesias in patients in those age brackets was around 30%.


CONCLUSIONS
Pediatric and geriatric patients and the interventions for which they are administered anesthesia have particular features. Taking them into consideration in the short term would facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies and the introduction of changes in health care organization.
Escolano
Fernando
F
Servicio de Anestesiología. Hospital del Mar-Esperança (IMAS), Passeig Marítim 25, Barcelona, Spain. Fescolano@imas.imim.es
Hervàs
Carles
C
Canet
Jaume
J
Sabaté
Sergi
S
Mabrock
Maged M
MM
Soler
Eduard
E
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013030:Spain; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult