Which statement about perioperative cardiac arrest in children is NOT correct?

Which statement about perioperative cardiac arrest in children is NOT correct?

• A. Cardiac arrest is more common in neonates than infants or older children
• B. Equipment-related causes occur in more than 25% of cardiac arrests
• C. Resuscitation is more often successful if the cause is anesthesia-related rather than non-anesthesia related
• D. Many cases of cardiac arrest occur in children with concomitant congenital heart disease

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how the causes and outcomes of perioperative cardiac arrest in children are distributed. Neonates have higher risk than older children due to immature physiology, and many arrests occur in children with congenital heart disease. When the arrest is related to anesthesia, rapid recognition and treatment—especially airway and ventilation management and reversal of drugs—often leads to a successful resuscitation, whereas arrests from non-anesthesia related causes tend to have worse outcomes. Equipment-related failures do occur, but they are not the predominant cause; they account for a minority of cases, well under a quarter. So the statement that equipment-related causes occur in more than 25% of pediatric perioperative arrests is not correct.

The key idea is how the causes and outcomes of perioperative cardiac arrest in children are distributed. Neonates have higher risk than older children due to immature physiology, and many arrests occur in children with congenital heart disease. When the arrest is related to anesthesia, rapid recognition and treatment—especially airway and ventilation management and reversal of drugs—often leads to a successful resuscitation, whereas arrests from non-anesthesia related causes tend to have worse outcomes. Equipment-related failures do occur, but they are not the predominant cause; they account for a minority of cases, well under a quarter. So the statement that equipment-related causes occur in more than 25% of pediatric perioperative arrests is not correct.