Page 10 - Part 1 Anesthesiology Common Risk Issues

SVMIC Anesthesiology: Common Risk Issues

uncommon, but experts say that anesthesia is one of the

safest areas of healthcare today.” Yet, the misperception that
3
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

wake-up 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 hypothermia.

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 used so that members of the
anesthesia care team can be alerted immediately to changes in

the patient’s vitals or condition.4

3 https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/anesthesia-risks-what-patients-should-know
4 https://www.asahq.org/standards-and-guidelines/standards-for-basic-anesthetic-monitoring
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