Page 8 - 2022 Risk Basics - Anesthesiology

SVMIC Risk Basics: Anesthesiology

the safest areas of healthcare today.” Yet, the misperception
3
that anesthesia is the most unsafe area of medicine persists in
the minds of many patients, and consequently, a large number

of jurors.

There are many factors which contribute to improved
anesthesia safety including new drugs, improved technology,

and a better understanding of how anesthetic agents

metabolize. The development of new anesthetic agents that
work faster, are significantly shorter-acting, and dissipate

quickly have improved wakeup times and increased patient

safety. The use of better medications has also helped
anesthesiologists’ ability to more accurately treat a patient who

is experiencing a life-threatening condition such as malignant
hyperthermia.

New sophisticated monitoring equipment that more accurately

measures vital signs and warns the anesthesiologist or
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) of potential

problems has also significantly contributed to the reduction in
patient injuries and deaths. Modern end tidal carbon dioxide

monitors allow the anesthesia practitioner to better assess

whether the breathing tube is in the trachea and not the
esophagus – which was more difficult to determine in the past.

While oximeters have dramatically increased safety and are an

early warning for desaturation and hypoxia, they are a rather
late indicator of esophageal intubation. The ASA has issued

guidelines for best practices when it comes to use of
monitoring equipment which mandate that audible alarms be

3 https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/anesthesia-risks-what-patients-should-know

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