Analysis of Deaths Related to Anesthesia in the Period 1996–2004 from Closed Claims Registered by the Danish Patient Insurance Association
| Autor: | Lars Dahlgaard Hove, Jacob Steinmetz, Ann Merete Møller, Henrik Schmidt, Jacob Nielsen, Jens Krogh Christoffersen |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2007 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Catheterization Central Venous medicine.medical_specialty Time Factors Denmark medicine.medical_treatment Specialty MEDLINE Patient safety Cause of Death Anesthesiology medicine Humans Anesthesia Registries Aged Retrospective Studies Cause of death Aged 80 and over Medical Errors business.industry Retrospective cohort study Middle Aged Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine Female Airway management Safety business Central venous catheter |
| Zdroj: | Anesthesiology. 106:675-680 |
| ISSN: | 0003-3022 |
| DOI: | 10.1097/01.anes.0000264749.86145.e5 |
| Popis: | Background: Anesthesia is associated with complications, and some of them may be fatal. The authors investigated the circumstances under which deaths were associated with anesthesia. In Denmark, the specialty anesthesiology encompasses emergency medicine, chronic and acute pain medicine, anesthetic procedures, perioperative care medicine, and intensive care medicine. Methods: The authors retrospectively investigated anesthesia related deaths registered by the Danish Patient Insurance Association. Results: From 1996 to 2004, 27,971 claims were made by the Danish Patient Insurance Association covering all medical specialties, of which 1,256 files (4.5%) were related to anesthesia. In 24 cases, the patient’s death was considered to result from the anesthetic procedure: 4 deaths were related to airway management, 2 to ventilation management, 4 to central venous catheter placement, 4 as a result of medication errors, 4 from infusion pump problems, and 4 after complications from regional blockades. Severe hemorrhage caused 1 death, and in 1 case the cause was uncertain. Conclusions: Several of the 24 deaths could potentially have been avoided by more extended use of airway algorithm, thorough preoperative evaluation, training, education, and use of protocols for diagnosis and treatment. IT has become accepted that patients can file a claim if their medical treatment results in an injury or an unexpected side effect. In Denmark, claims from patients regarding medical treatment are considered by the independent Danish Patient Insurance Association (DPIA) introduced in 1992 by the Danish government. The DPIA acts as an impartial agency, with the power to provide financial compensation to patients for injuries sustained during examination or treatment in the healthcare service. 1 As a result, patients can file a claim with the DPIA with the sole purpose of seeking financial compensation. Based on the DPIA files covering claims from 1996 to 2004, we evaluated the fatal cases related to the fields of anesthesia in Denmark. In Denmark, the specialty anesthesiology encompasses emergency medicine, chronic and acute pain medicine, anesthetic procedures, perioperative care medicine, and intensive care medicine. The number of anesthesias performed in Denmark per year is estimated to be 400,000. The aim of this study was to describe the set of claims that resulted from death associated with anesthesia and to identify potential opportunities to improve patient safety. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|