Clinical aspects of elderly patients operated at N° 1 Military Regional Hospital Yaoundé

Abstract

Introduction: The perioperative management of elderly patients has its own particularities due to the physiological changes associated with ageing and the presence of co-morbidities. The aim of our study was to review the anaesthetic management of
elderly surgical patients.

Material and method: This was a retrospective, descriptive study from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023, covering all patients aged 65 and over who underwent surgery in the operating theatres of the HMR1. Patients were collected from the operating theatre
anaesthesia register and anaesthesia notes. The variables studied were age, sex, condition, ASA class, operative indication, anaesthetic technique and intraoperative complications.

Results: During the study period, 1560 patients underwent surgery, including 157 patients aged 65 and over, representing a prevalence of 10.1%. The types of surgery were urological (31.8%) and traumatological (31.2%). The majority of patients were male
(71.34%). The mean age was 73.9 years [65-90 years], with a predominance of geriatric patients [65-74 years]. Nearly half (48.4%) of patients had co-morbidities, dominated by hypertension (60.7%) and diabetes (25%). ASA classes 1 and 2 were the most common
(69%). Locoregional anaesthesia was used most frequently (n=114, 72.6%), with spinal anaesthesia predominating (64.3%). Arterial hypotension was the most common intraoperative complication.

Conclusion: Anaesthetic management of elderly patients at MRH1 is effective. Locoregional anaesthesia is the technique most frequently used.