Authors

Abstract

Salam N Asfar@ & Jasim M Salman#
@MB, ChB, MSc, Professor of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, University of Basrah, and Al-Sadir Teaching Hospital, Basrah. #MB,ChB, DA, FICMS, Lecturer & Consultant Anesthesiologist, Basrah University and Al-Sadir Teaching Hospital, Basrah, IRAQ.



C
ardiac arrest can be defined as inability of heart action to maintain adequate cerebral circulation. Arrest in association with anaesthesia accounts for millions of cases around the world1-2. Cardiac arrest attributable to anaesthesia occurred at the rate of between 0.5 and 1 case per 10 000 cases overall and at the rate of 1.4 per 10 000 cases for the paediatric series; 55% of these were in children less than 1 year of age. The overall rate of cardiac arrest is up to 10 times higher than this, with uncontrolled bleeding, technical surgical problems, extensive co-morbidity, and advanced age3,4.