A Retrospective Analysis of Non-Operating Room Anesthesia Practices at University Hospital

Abstract: Objective: The use of non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) is increasing due to its advantages in procedure success and patient management. This study aims to retrospectively evaluate the NORA practices at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University hospital over a two-year period. Materials and Methods: After obtaining ethical approval, the records of patients who underwent sedation-analgesia outside the operating room for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes between 2018 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Recorded data included age, gender, weight, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification, comorbidities, types of procedures, anesthesia and recovery times, medications used, and complications. Results: A total of 1199 patients were included in the study, with 63.3% (759) adults and 36.7% (440) pediatric patients. The patient group comprised 69.1% (829) female and 30.9% (370) male, with a mean age of 35.62 ± 28.69 years (0-98). Of the patients, 46.1% (547) were in the ASA 2 risk group. The most common procedure was Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) 45.1% (541). The most frequently used anesthetic regimen was a combination of midazolam, propofol, and ketamine 70.1% (840). Hypotension was the most common complication 3.7% (44), followed by bradycardia 3.2% (38). Hypertension was the most frequently (12.0%) observed comorbidity. Conclusion: The frequency of non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) procedures is steadily increasing due to growing patient and surgeon satisfaction. Comprehensive preanesthetic evaluations, ensuring appropriate physical conditions and patient-specific drug selection are crucial for appropriate and rapid interventions for possible complications. Keywords: Non-operating room anesthesia practices, Pre-anesthetic evaluation, Sedation, Anesthetic agents, Complications