Joint Communication from the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia and the American Society of Anesthesiologists Regarding Severe Neurological Complications and Death after General Anesthesia in Venezuelan Children

The Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) are aware of recent reports from the Society of Anesthesiology of Chile, the Venezuelan Society of Anesthesiology, and the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation regarding severe neurological damage in five previously healthy Venezuelan children, including the death of four of them, following elective surgeries under general anesthesia.

The SPA Board of Directors and the ASA Committee on Pediatric Anesthesia thoughtfully considered what is known about this situation and currently believe there is insufficient data to make any specific recommendations concerning the anesthetic care of Venezuelan children.

However, it is imperative that pediatric anesthesiologists report any suspected cases for further investigation. After consultation with ASA leadership, members are strongly encouraged to report any concerning cases to the Anesthesia Incident Reporting System (AIRS) hosted by the Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI).