[Conduction analgesic techniques and a problem in safe anesthesia].

The authors analyze mortality rates during 338,000 anesthetic procedures. Mortality was 0.02%. Epidural, spinal, and plexus anesthesias were 15% of the total number of anesthetic procedures. In this group, mortality was twice less [0.01% (6 patients)] than that under general anesthesia. Under regional anesthesia, all deaths were associated with the induction of epidural anesthesia. A human factor is of profound importance for fatal cases under regional anesthesia. Regional anesthetic techniques are safer than general anesthetic ones.