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. 2009 Oct;64(10):999–1006. doi: 10.1590/S1807-59322009001000011

Table 1.

Mortality incidence in patients undergoing anesthesia according to studies performed in different countries between 1954 and 1989

Investigator and Year of Publication Time Period and Data Source Study Population and Time of Death Mortality Incidence per 10,000 anesthetics
Perioperative Anesthesia-Related
Beecher & Todd (1954)4 1948 – 1952
Group of 10 hospitals
USA
599,548 anesthetics
Hospital death
133.05 6.40
Memery (1965)5 1955 – 1964
Private hospital
USA
69,291 anesthetics
Deaths within 24h
25.84 3.18
Marx et al. (1973)6 1965 – 1969
Teaching hospital
USA
34,145 anesthetics
Deaths within 7 days
Excluded: Obstetric patients
188.90 7.91
Bodlander (1975)7 1963 – 1972
Teaching hospital
Australia
211,130 anesthetics
Deaths within 24h or failure to regain consciousness
19.32 5.87
Harrison (1978)8 1967 – 1976
Teaching hospital
South Africa
240,483 anesthetics
Deaths within 24h
102.04 2.20
Hovi-Viander (1980)9 1975
Group of 100 hospitals
Finland
338,934 anesthetics
Deaths within 3 days
18.48 1.98
Turnbull et al. (1980)10 1973 – 1977
Teaching hospital
Canada
195,232 anesthetics
Deaths within 48h
22.0 1.28
Tiret et al. (1986)11 1978 – 1982
Group of 460 hospitals
France
198,103 anesthetics
Deaths within 24h
18.28 3.45
Olsson & Hallen (1988)12 1967 – 1984
Teaching hospital
Sweden
250,543 anesthetics
Deaths in the OR
2.40 0.30
Pitt-Miller (1989)13 1976 – 1987
General hospital
India
129,107 anesthetics
Deaths within 24h
14.41 6.58

OR = Operating Room