Pediatric anesthesia in developing countries: experience in the two main university hospitals of Benin in West Africa

Aims: To describe the practice of pediatric anesthesia in the main University Hospitals in Benin.

Patients and Methods: We conduct a retrospective study involving 512 children at the ‘Centre National Hospitalier et Universitaire’ and the ‘Hôpital de la Mère et de l’Enfant Lagune’ in Cotonou. All children less than 15 years of age undergoing surgery from January to December 2007 were included. Patient demographics, anesthetic technique, perioperative monitoring and complications were analyzed.

Results: General anesthesia was used in 94% of children. Regional anesthesia was used in 1.7% of children at CNHU and 17% of children at Hôpital de la Mère et de l’Enfant Lagune. Inhalational induction was the commonest technique used. Halothane was the only inhalational agent available for induction. Seventy-two percent of children having general anesthesia were intubated. Muscle relaxation was used in 48% of cases, only with pancuronium. The available perioperative monitoring equipment was not used regularly. All children having general anesthesia breathed spontaneously with manual assistance. There were eight cardiac arrests recorded, giving an incidence of 156 cardiac arrests per 10 000 anesthetics. Hypoxia was the commonest cause of cardiac arrest. The mortality associated with cardiac arrest was very high (62%). There were three prognostic factors that predicted a poor outcome: age <1 year, emergency surgery and an ASA score of three or more.

Conclusion: Pediatric anesthesia in the two University Hospitals is far from satisfactory. Morbidity and mortality are unacceptably high. Suggestions are made to improve the safety of children undergoing anesthesia.