Incidence of complications after nonoperating room anesthesia in children in a low‐ and middle‐income country: A prospective and observational study

Introduction Nonoperating room anesthesia is a growing field of medicine that can have an increased risk of complications, particularly in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Aims The aim of this study was to describe the incidence of complications after pediatric nonoperating room anesthesia and investigate its risk factors. Methods In this prospective observational study, we included all children aged less than 5 years who were sedated or anesthetized in the radiology setting of a university hospital in a low‐ and middle‐income country. Patients were divided into two groups: complications or no‐complications groups. Then, we compared both groups, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate the main risk factors for complications. Results We included 256 children, and the incidence of complications was 8.6%. The main predictors of nonoperating room anesthesia‐related morbidity were: critically‐ill children (aOR = 2.490; 95% CI: 1.55–11.21), predicted difficult airway (aOR = 5.704; 95% CI: 1.017–31.98), and organization insufficiencies (aOR = 52.6; 95% CI:4.55–613). The preanesthetic consultation few days before NORA protected against complications (aOR = 0.263; 95%CI: 0.080–0.867). Conclusions The incidence of complications during NORA among children in our radiology setting remains high. Investigating predictors for morbidity allowed high‐risk patient selection, which allowed taking precautions. Several improvement measures were taken to address the organization's insufficiencies.