[Early postoperative hypoxemia in infants, children and adults undergoing elective plastic surgery].

Seven hundred ASA-class-1 patients undergoing elective plastic surgery were selected to study the effect of age on early postoperative hypoxemia with a pulse eximeter for continuous monitoring of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) in the postanesthesia recovery room. The patients were divided into four groups: group 1, 72 infants aged less than one year; group 2, 120 children aged from one to three years; group 3, 364 children aged over three years; and group 4, 144 adults aged from 18 to 58 years. The results showed that the younger the patients, the lower the SpO3 and the higher the incidence of hypoxemia in the early postoperative period. The incidences of early postoperative hypoxemia in the postanesthesia recovery room were 44.4% in group 1, 31.7% in group 2, 17.3% in group 3 and 8.3% in group 4. Early postoperative hypoxemia occurred most commonly within 40 min. in infants and within 15 min. in children aged over one year and adults.