“What causes death from anesthesia?”
I am a 50 year old female. I want to know what causes death from anesthesia?
3 Answers
Anesthesia rarely causes death. It has been estimated to be the primary cause of death in 1:10,00 - 1:200,000 cases. Usually the few patients who die during or after anesthesia and surgery die from the surgery combined with their pre-existing conditions.
There is only one directly related to anesthetics. Malignant hyperthermia is a reaction to certain anesthetic agents and is very rare. Other causes are secondary to medical problems, like a heart attack or lung disorders.
It's true you could die under anesthesia. The most common cause is a patient's condition of risk, then death is more probable during emergency surgeries, i.e., trauma, car accident, gunshot wound, etc.
