Morbidity and mortality related to anesthesia outside the operating room.

Morbidity and mortality related to sedation or anesthesia outside the operating room has not been investigated so far, but it is assumed to be a relevant problem because the increasing needs for sedation/analgesia in remote locations for a wide range of diagnostic and operative procedures (endoscopy, radiology, magnetic resonance...) and the lack of monitoring, inadequate training of personnel,insufficient staffing. Many complications could occur to patients, like anaphylactic shock,accidental hypothermia,difficult airway maintenance, aspiration,nausea and vomiting, and anesthesiologists, like exposure to pollution, radiation, electromagnetic fields, falls and trauma. Recent guidelines and personal experience are presented and discussed.