Lifebox: A Global Patient Safety Initiative.
The safety of anesthesia was dramatically improved by the introduction of pulse oximetry. This technology was rapidly adopted by anesthesiologists and made a standard of practice in many countries. In 2007, during development of the Surgical Safety Checklist, the World Health Organization recommended a pulse oximeter as a monitor for all patients undergoing anesthesia. However, clinicians in low- and middle-income countries lack access to basic anesthesia equipment, including pulse oximeters. The Lifebox Foundation was formed to determine how a suitable oximeter could be made available to anesthesia providers in these countries. Almost 11,000 oximeters have been delivered in 90 countries, with education courses completed in over 50 countries.
From the *Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Jubilee Hospital, University of British Columbia, BC, Canada; †Department of Anaesthesia, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; ‡Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand; §Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK; and ‖Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, UK.
Angela
A
Enright
Alan
A
Merry
Isabeau
I
Walker
Iain
I
Wilson
D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education* / Q000379:methods*; D014943:Global Health / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D010092:Oximetry / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000191:economics; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000191:economics; D014944:World Health Organization / Q000191:economics