[Anesthesia practice in Catalan hospitals and other health care facilities].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this arm of the ANESCAT study was to characterize anesthesia practice in the various types of health care facilities of Catalonia, Spain, in 2003.


METHODS
We analyzed data from the survey according to a) source of a facility's funding: public hospitals financed by the Catalan Public Health Authority (ICS), the network of subsidized hospitals for public use (XHUP), or private hospitals; b) size: facilities without hospital beds, hospitals with fewer than 250 beds, those with 251 to 500, and those with over 500; and c) training accreditation status: whether or not a facility gave medical resident training.


RESULTS
A total of 131 facilities participated (11 under the ICS, 47 from the XHUP, and 73 private hospitals). Twenty-six clinics had no hospital beds, 78 facilities had fewer than 250, 21 had 251 to 500, and 6 had more than 500. Seventeen hospitals trained medical residents. XHUP hospitals performed 44.3% of all anesthetic procedures, private hospitals 36.7%, and ICS facilities 18.5%. Five percent of procedures were performed in clinics without beds, 42.9% in facilities with fewer than 250 beds, 35% in hospitals with 251 to 500, and 17.1% in hospitals with over 500. Anesthetists in teaching hospitals performed 35.5% of all procedures. The mean age of patients was lower in private hospitals, facilities with fewer than 250 beds, and hospitals that did not train medical residents. The physical status of patients was worse in ICS hospitals, in facilities with over 500 beds, and in teaching hospitals. It was noteworthy that 25% of anesthetic procedures were performed on an emergency basis in XHUP and ICS hospitals, in facilities with more than 250 beds, and in teaching hospitals. Anesthesia for outpatient procedures accounted for 40% of the total in private hospitals and 31% of the practice in ICS and XHUP hospitals. The duration of anesthesia and postanesthetic recovery was longer in ICS hospitals, in facilities with over 500 beds, and in those with medical resident training programs. The numbers of postoperative admissions to critical care units and of specialized analgesic techniques performed were higher in ICS hospitals, in facilities with over 500 beds, and in teaching hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
The complexity of both anesthesia and surgical practice and the severity of patient condition increased with hospital size and public funding status.
Villalonga
Antonio
A
Servicio de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor, Hospital Universitari de Girona Dr. Josep Trueta, Avgda. França s/n, Girona, Spain. avillalonga@comg.es
Sabaté
Sergi
S
Campos
Juan Manuel
JM
Fornaguera
Joan
J
Hernández
Carmen
C
Sistac
José María
JM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006761:Hospitals / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011997:Recovery Room / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult