An Audit of Intraoperative Cardiac Arrests in a Tertiary Hospital in South East Nigeria

Background: Intraoperative cardiac arrest (IOCA) is a complication of surgery associated with a great risk of mortality. This study evaluated the incidence, risk factors, causes and outcomes of IOCA at a tertiary hospital in South East Nigeria. Aim: It was a retrospective evaluation of the incidence, risk factors, causes and outcomes of intraoperative cardiac arrests at a tertiary hospital in South East Nigeria. Patients and Method: A retrospective study of intraoperative cardiac arrests occurring over a 5-year period was conducted. Data on patient demographics, surgery, and complications were retrieved from patients’ medical records and analyzed using the Statistical Package and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 25. Chi-square test analysis was used to determine relationship between risk factors and outcome. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The incidence of IOCA was 2.96 per 1000 with a mortality of 1.1 per 1000. There were 8 males were 5 females Majority of the cardiac arrests occurred during emergency surgery (69.2%) and within the first 120 minutes of surgery. Blood loss (53.9%) and hypertension (30.8%) were the commonest causes of IOCA. Majority of the patients (61.5%) had successful resuscitation and patients aged 21 – 40 years had better survival (50%) compared to other age groups. Conclusion: The incidence of IOCA in this study is comparable with reports from other studies. Blood loss and intraoperative hypertension were the most common causes of IOCA. There was no significant relationship between risk factors and outcome of the intraoperative cardiac arrest.