title: Survey of anesthesia-related mortality in France.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study describes a nationwide survey that estimates the number and characteristics of anesthesia-related deaths for the year 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  Death certificates from the French national mortality database were selected from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes using a variable sampling fraction. Medical certifiers were sent a questionnaire (response rate, 97%), and the anesthesiologist in charge was offered a peer review (acceptance rate, 97%). Files were reviewed to determine the mechanism of each perioperative death and its relation to anesthesia. Mortality rates were calculated using the number of anesthetic procedures estimated from a national 1996 survey and compared with a previous (1978-1982) nationwide study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 4,200 certificates analyzed, 256 led to a detailed evaluation. The death rates totally or partially related to anesthesia for 1999 were 0.69 in 100,000 (95% confidence interval, 0.22-1.2 in 100,000) and 4.7 in 100,000 (3.1-6.3 in 100,000), respectively. The death rate increased from 0.4 to 55 in 100,000 for American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and IV patients, respectively. Rates increased with increasing age. Although concerns regarding aspiration of gastric contents remain, intraoperative hypotension and anemia associated with postoperative ischemic complications were the associated factors most often encountered. Deviations from standard practice and organizational failure were often found to be associated with death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison with data from a previous nationwide study (1978-1982), the anesthesia-related mortality rate in France seems to be reduced 10-fold in 1999. Much remains to be done to improve compliance of physicians to standard practice and to improve the anesthetic system process.
authors.affiliation: Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Service d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Université Paris VI, Paris, France. a.lienhart@sat.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lienhart
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Auroy
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Péquignot
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Benhamou
authors.forename: Josiane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Warszawski
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bovet
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jougla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000401:mortality*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003644:Death Certificates; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires