Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Incidence of peri‐operative peripheral nerve injuries associated with general and regional anaesthesia: an observational study
Authors' conclusion
The risk of peri-operative peripheral nerve injuries is lower than historical estimates and appears to be decreasing with time.
Study context
- Population
- Non-maternity surgical admissions, Victoria, Australia, 2015–2024
- Participants
- 5,451,848 surgical admissions
- Outcome
- Incidence of peri-operative peripheral nerve injuries
Methodological detailsstate-wide administrative dataset, public and private hospitals
- State-wide administrative dataset
- Public and private hospitals
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Peri-operative peripheral nerve injuries
- Nerve injuries as complication of care
- 796
- Rate per 100,000 surgical admissions
- 14.6
- Rate (%)
- 0.014%
- Specific nerve injuries of interest (most common in ASA closed claims)
- 407
- Specific nerve injuries rate per 100,000 surgical admissions
- 7.5
- Specific nerve injuries rate (%)
- 0.007%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Risk factors for specific peri-operative nerve injuries
| OR (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Combined RA with GA or sedation | 2.68 (2.11–3.39) | |
| Obesity | 2.04 (1.54–2.69) | |
| Charlson comorbidity index of 2 | 2.61 (1.87–3.65) | |
| Cardiovascular system procedures | 3.75 (2.85–4.92) | |
| Musculoskeletal system procedures | 3.30 (2.59–4.20) | |
| Nervous system procedures | 3.17 (2.43–4.14) | |
| 0.20.5125Odds ratio (log scale) |
Original publication
Incidence of peri‐operative peripheral nerve injuries associated with general and regional anaesthesia: an observational study. Anaesthesia. Published 1 December 2025. doi:10.
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