An audit of perioperative aspiration pneumonitis in gynaecological and obstetric patients

Abstract

Obstetric patients are considered to be at increased risk of anaesthesia-related Aspiration Pneumonitis. Less is known about the incidence and morbidity of this complication in younger women undergoing gynaecological surgery. We performed a 4-year audit of perioperative Aspiration Pneumonitis, defined as bronchospasm, hypoxia, cough and dyspnea, together with radiographic or auscultatory abnormalities, following a witnessed episode of gastric content entering the trachea or an intraoperative episode making pulmonary aspiration likely, in two larger Norwegian hospitals. Eleven cases were identified; 4 in Caesarean Section (C-section) patients, 5 in gynaecological (GYN) outpatients and 2 in GYN inpatients, with incidences of 0.11%, 0.04% and 0.01% respectively (P = 0.03). Risk factors were present in all patients. No patient died, but the short-time morbidity in the form of prolonged ICU stay and hospitalisation was significant. At discharge all patients noted symptoms of dyspnea, cough, and tightness of the chest; symptoms explainable by bronchial hyperreactivity. Five patients felt these symptoms did not disappear within 3 months and were followed up for a median of 2 years (range 4 months to 4 years). All were smokers and had multiple confounding causes, which made it hard to link their prolonged complaints directly to the pulmonary aspiration incident. All experienced improvement of symptoms during the follow-up period. Compared to gynaecological patients of similar age, C-section patients still have an increased risk of suffering Aspiration Pneumonitis. Prevention can be further improved in both groups. A cause-relationship between the incidence and respiratory complaints lasting longer than 3 months could not be established, and a structured follow-up may be helpful to avoid later medicolegal claims.