title: Major complications of regional anesthesia in 11 teaching hospitals of China: a prospective survey of 106,569 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of major complications in patients undergoing regional anesthesia (RA) in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter prospective survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven teaching hospitals in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 106,569 patients undergoing RA from April 1, 2009, to April 30, 2011, were involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information on patients, types of surgery, and RA techniques was collected with a standardized chart. After RA, the patients were followed up by an investigator in each center for 1 to 3 weeks according to the patient's condition. Data were integrated and analyzed with a structured query language server system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the patients undergoing RA, 37 developed major complications, including Horner syndrome (n = 9; 0.84/10,000), recurrent laryngeal nerve blockade (n = 6; 0.56/10,000), cardiac arrest (n = 1; 0.09/10,000), hematoma (n = 2; 0.19/10,000), seizures (n = 5; 0.46/10,000), catheter break (n = 1; 0.09/10,000), paraplegia (n = 1; 0.09/10,000), cauda equina syndrome (n = 2; 0.19/10,000), and extensive neuraxial block (n = 10; 0.94/10,000). The incidence of major RA complications varied from 0.8/10,000 to 18.8/10,000 among centers and was highest in cervical plexum block. Plastic surgery had the highest incidence of complications (19.0/10,000), most of which were recurrent extensive neuraxial block. The total incidence of major RA complications was 3.47/10,000.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This large, multicenter, prospective survey revealed the incidence of major complications after RA in China's hospitals. Although severe complication like cardiac arrest is rare, it is distressing and challenging. Hence, there is still a room to improve on daily basis to further reduce complications related to RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, PR China.
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150001, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenzhi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650032, PR China.
authors.forename: Xinhua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200081, PR China.
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, PR China.
authors.forename: Shengmei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Hailong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China. Electronic address: mzkxlz@126.com.
authors.forename: Lize
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006406:Hematoma / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cardiac arrest; Complications; Horner syndrome; Incidence; Neuraxial block; Regional anesthesia