[Anaesthics incidents - Injuries caused by regional anaesthesia - closed claims of the North German Arbitration Board].
Injuries caused by regional anaesthesia are the second most common reason for a patient to apply to the North German Arbitration Board. Part of the reported injuries are mild and transient, while others are severe and permanent, e.g. a paraplegia after regional anaesthesia. In the majority of the reported cases, the Arbitration Board did not find a medical error as cause of the injury. Nevertheless, every possible effort needs to be made to reduce the number and the severity of the injuries due to regional anaesthesia. In order to reach that goal, medical treatment has to be applied with the appropriate care, including the strict adherence to the height of puncture for epidural and spinal anaesthesia below the Conus medullaris and the use of assisting devices like nerve stimulator and ultrasound-guided puncture. Using these measures, the frequency of injuries caused by regional anaesthesia will be reduced.
Direktor der Klinik für Anästhe siologie, Intensivmedizin und Schmerztherapie, Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin, Ärztlicher Leiter des ukb und Vorsitzender der Schlichtungsstelle für Arzthaftpfl ichtfragen der norddeutschen Ärztekammern, Hannover. Walter.Schaff artzik@ukb.de
Walter
W
Schaffartzik
Thomas
T
Hachenberg
Jörn
J
Rust
Johann
J
Neu
D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000401:mortality*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007344:Insurance Claim Reporting / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010243:Paralysis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000401:mortality*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate