The Implementation of the Classification of Intraoperative Adverse Events (ClassIntra) for Neurosurgical Procedures

Surgeons strive for the best possible outcome of their surgeries with the greatest possible chance for recovery of the patients. Therefore, monitoring and quality improvement is increasingly important in surgery. As there are well-defined scores and classifications to describe the postoperative course regarding morbidity, mortality and neurological status, no validated classification for intraoperative quality exists by now. However, Dell-Kuster et al. introduced a novel classification for assessing all intraoperative adverse events: ClassIntra. This classification was developed in a Delphi consensus containing international, interdisciplinary, and validated in a multicentre cohort study across all surgical disciplines. The classification defines intraoperative adverse events as any deviation from the ideal intraoperative course occurring between skin incision and skin closure and contains any event related to surgery and anaesthesia. Depending on the kind of adverse event, the ClassIntra score ranges from 0 (no event) to 5 (intraoperative death). A prospective study with a main focus on neurosurgery covering the whole spectrum of elective and emergency procedures is needed. Hereby, the outcome parameters need to be defined specific for neurosurgical procedures including a preoperative and postoperative neurological status.