A five-year review of upper airway obstruction in the immediate general anaesthetic post-operative period in Enugu, Nigeria, 1990-1994.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence and causes of upper airway obstruction in the Post Anaesthesia Recovery Room (PARR) of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, from January 1990 to December 1994


METHODS
A retrospective study of 4500 anaesthetic charts from January 1990 to December 1994 was undertaken. Cases where upper respiratory tract obstruction (URTO) occurred were retrieved and reviewed. Information sought for included patient's age, sex, pre-operative physical status (ASA), type of surgery, probable cause of URTO, and management outcome.


RESULTS
Twenty-five patients had URTO during the study period giving an overall incidence of 0.56% or 56 in 10,000 general anaesthetics. The most common cause of URTO in the recovery room was laryngospasm followed by the backward fall of patients tongue.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has shown that upper airway obstruction is a fairly common complication in the post-anesthesia recovery room and that laryngospasm is the most important aetiology.
Nze
P U N
PU
Department of Anaesthesia, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007826:Laryngismus / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011997:Recovery Room / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies