Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users
to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response
is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual
response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the
browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published
online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed.
Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles.
The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being
wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our
attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not
including references and author details. We will no longer post responses
that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
In your Minerva article 30 November 2023 it states that "Cardiac arrest during anaesthesia. A UK register of cardiac arrests that occurred during anaesthesia reports 881 cases over a 12 month period, giving an incidence of three arrests per 100 000 anaesthetics." This is a 10-fold underestimate as the article states the incidence of paerioperative cardiac arrest is 3 in 10,000". [1].
This error is important as a key role of the National Audit Projects of the Royal College of Anaesthetists is to provide accurate information for patients and to populate patient information documentation on the risks of anaesthesia and surgery (see [2])
We would be grateful if the error could be corrected.
Sincerely
TM Cook, Bath
R Armstrong, Bristol
J Soar, Bristol
References
1 Armstrong RA, Soar J, Kane AD. Peri-operative cardiac arrest: epidemiology and clinical features of patients analysed in the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Anaesthesia 2023 in press. https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.16156
2 Royal College of Anaesthetists. Common events adn risk during anaesthesia. Availalbe at https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2019-11/Risk-infogr... (accessed 11 Dec 2023)
Competing interests:
No competing interests
11 December 2023
Tim Cook
Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine
Perioperative Cardiac Arrest.
Dear Editor
In your Minerva article 30 November 2023 it states that "Cardiac arrest during anaesthesia. A UK register of cardiac arrests that occurred during anaesthesia reports 881 cases over a 12 month period, giving an incidence of three arrests per 100 000 anaesthetics." This is a 10-fold underestimate as the article states the incidence of paerioperative cardiac arrest is 3 in 10,000". [1].
This error is important as a key role of the National Audit Projects of the Royal College of Anaesthetists is to provide accurate information for patients and to populate patient information documentation on the risks of anaesthesia and surgery (see [2])
We would be grateful if the error could be corrected.
Sincerely
TM Cook, Bath
R Armstrong, Bristol
J Soar, Bristol
References
1 Armstrong RA, Soar J, Kane AD. Peri-operative cardiac arrest: epidemiology and clinical features of patients analysed in the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Anaesthesia 2023 in press. https://doi.org/10.1111/anae.16156
2 Royal College of Anaesthetists. Common events adn risk during anaesthesia. Availalbe at https://www.rcoa.ac.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2019-11/Risk-infogr... (accessed 11 Dec 2023)
Competing interests: No competing interests