Prevalence of postoperative complications and associated Factors in adult patients admitted to the post anesthesia Care unit of jimma university medical centre, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Despite advancements in perioperative anesthesia, PACU complications remain common, especially in low-resource settings like Ethiopia, where limited resources and staffing shortages increase the risks. The post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) is a crucial component of the surgical process, providing patients with vital support and monitoring as they recover from anesthesia. Previous studies in neighboring African countries with comparable sociodemographic and economic profiles report varying incidences and prevalences of PACU complications and associated factors. Objective: To assess the prevalence of postoperative complications and associated factors in adult patients admitted to the post anesthesia care unit of Jimma university medical Centre, Ethiopia, 2024. Methods: An institutional based prospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the PACU of Jimma university medical Centre from October 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025. Two BSc-trained nurses collected data using a structured questionnaire under the supervision of the investigator. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages. Inferential analyses (chi-square tests and logistic regression) have identified factors associated with complications. Results: A total of 421 patients admitted to the Post-Anesthesia Care Units (PACU) of JUMC were sampled. Out of this 44.4% had postoperative complications in the PACU and among those 15.9% patients had developed more than one complication. Pain, 17.4% of the complications is the most common complication followed by cardiovascular complications which is 15.2%, hypothermia 7.4%, respiratory complications 7.1% and GIT complications is 1.9%. Age (AOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.13–3.43), ASA classification (AOR = 3.54, 95% CI: 1.91–6.56), Duration of surgery (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.05–2.87) had significant association with the prevalence of postoperative complications in the PACU. Conclusions and Recommendations: Results from this study show that prevalence of postoperative complications in the PACU of JUMC is significantly high. Pain, cardiovascular complications and hypothermia are the most common complications which needs focus, early detection and addressed by the PACU and anesthesia team. Patients with advanced age, higher ASA class and who had prolonged duration of surgery requires close follow up in the PACU in order to reduce the prevalence of postoperative complications.