According to the report, the number of patients who die within a year after receiving general anesthesia is one in 20. For those over 65, the odds increase to one in 10. Andre Gottschalk, MD, author of the study, said the death rate may be rising because older patients are more frequently undergoing surgery.
While patient deaths are the number one concern discussed in the report, a large number of patients also suffer temporary or long-term health consequences from anesthesia errors. In the U.S., around 0.724 anesthesia complications are estimated to occur for every 1,000 discharges.
The study authors concluded that special precautions are warranted when anesthetizing at-risk patients.
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