What happens when things go wrong?
When a patient is injured or dies during anesthesia care, both the family of the patient and the health care providers suffer. The family needs to know what happened. The family can benefit from personal contact with the involved physicians. Apology to the injured is very important. The health care providers must report adverse events. Systematic review of adverse events can provide improved patient safety. Mechanisms exist to support the health care providers recovering from these potentially devastating experiences, but useful support is often not immediately available.
Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. fftbwb@yahoo.com
Barbara W
BW
Brandom
Patrick
P
Callahan
Dale Ann
DA
Micalizzi
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality*; D001601:Bereavement; D002648:Child; D030881:Disclosure / Q000592:standards; D005190:Family; D006282:Health Personnel; D006323:Heart Arrest; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors; D010290:Parents; D010820:Physicians; D012308:Risk Management; D012449:Safety; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological