[Survey of anesthetic techniques used in Catalonia: results of the analysis of 23,136 anesthesias (2003 ANESCAT study)].
OBJECTIVE
To examine anesthesia practice in Catalonia in 2003 and to describe the specific characteristics and distribution of the anesthesia techniques used and the patient profiles.


METHODS
We used the data from the ANESCAT epidemiological study that gathered information in questionnaire form on all anesthesias performed in Catalonia on 14 randomly selected days representative of practice in 2003.


RESULTS
All 131 hospitals authorized to perform anesthesia participated in the study. We collected 23136 questionnaires, from which we extrapolated to estimate 603189 anesthesias for the year and a rate of 9.0 anesthesias per 100 inhabitants per year. Fifty-eight percent of the patients were women and the mean age was 52 years. The physical status of the patients was as follows: ASA 1 or 2, 73.3%; ASA 3, 213%; ASA 4 or 5, 5.4%. The mean duration of anesthesia was 60 minutes. The most common form of anesthesia was a regional block (41.4%) and spinal block was the one performed most often. General anesthesia was used in 33.5% of the cases, combined anesthesia in 3.5%, and sedation in 21.6%. In descending order, orthopedics/trauma, ophthalmology, general surgery, obstetrics, cataract surgery, vaginal delivery, inguinal hernia repair, and colonoscopy were the procedures for which anesthesia was most commonly administered.


CONCLUSIONS
Almost 1 in 10 persons in Catalonia are given anesthesia each year and most of the procedures involve locoregional anesthesia or sedation. These data provide a picture of the current situation of anesthesiology and make it possible to forecast future anesthesia requirements.
Sabaté
S
S
Servicio de Anestesiología, Fundació Puigvert, Barcelona. 29285sst@comb.es
Gomar
C
C
Canet
J
J
Castillo
J
J
Villalonga
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires