Audit of Paediatric Anaesthesia Adverse Events at National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos

Paediatric anaesthesia adverse events represent a critical patient safety domain requiring systematic documentation to guide quality improvement in Nigerian surgical centres. This study audits the incidence, types, and severity of anaesthesia-related adverse events in paediatric surgical cases at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, South West Nigeria. A retrospective review of theatre anaesthesia records and adverse event reporting forms is conducted for all paediatric cases (age 0 to 15 years) over a three-year period from 2020 to 2022. Variables include patient age, ASA status, type of surgical procedure, anaesthesia technique, adverse event type (respiratory, cardiovascular, allergic, regional block complications), severity grading, and management outcome. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests are applied in SPSS. Available paediatric anaesthesia safety literature from West African settings identifies laryngospasm, desaturation, and bradycardia during induction as the most frequent adverse events, with risk elevated in children under three years of age. The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist and the AIMS (Anaesthesia Incident Monitoring Study) adverse event classification provide the analytical framework. Findings will support the hospital's anaesthesia quality committee in implementing structured paediatric anaesthesia safety audits and training refreshment programmes. Keywords: paediatric anaesthesia, adverse events, patient safety, Lagos, South West Nigeria.