Incidence and Associated Factors of Postoperative Undesirable Anesthetic Outcomes Among Surgical Patients at Referral Hospitals in Amhara Region, Ethiopia: A Multi-Center Study

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing surgery frequently experience unfavorable anesthetic outcomes. They may have an impact on body systems and result in more serious postoperative morbidities. This study was conducted to determine the incidence of postoperative undesirable anesthetic outcomes among surgical patients at referral hospitals in Amhara region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A total of 412 patients, who underwent surgical procedures between August 1 and October 30 of 2022, were included in this study. The Leiden Perioperative Care Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire’s (LPPSq) dimension “discomfort and needs” was used to collect data on the first postoperative day. Data entry and analysis were performed using SPSS version 20. To assess how risk factors affected the outcome variable, logistic regression analysis was utilized. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, a variable with a P-value of less than 0.05 was statistically considered as significant. RESULTS: The proportion of those who had “at least a little bit” of unfavorable outcomes was calculated to estimate their overall prevalence, and the prevalence of those who had “more than moderate” levels of unfavorable outcomes was determined to appreciate how severe these outcomes were. The percentages of postoperative pain, the most common undesired result, for “at least a little bit” and “more than moderate” were 87.7% and 32.3%, respectively. In this study, postoperative cold was the least prevalent (51.4%) undesirable anesthetic outcome. The remaining undesirable postoperative outcomes were reported less frequently. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Undesirable postoperative anesthetic outcomes were still common. The most frequent unfavorable result was postoperative pain. Adequate postoperative patient follow-up and quality service are paramount.