Intensive Care and Anesthesiology

Abstract

AbstractThe wide range of medical disciplines afferent to anesthesiology (anesthesia, perioperative care, intensive care medicine, pain therapy, and emergency medicine), carry a great, cross-specialty opportunity to influence safety and quality of patients’ care. Operating rooms and Intensive Care Units are settings burdened with a high risk of error: surgery is evolving, while the medical staff working in ICU is expected to provide high-quality care in a stressful and complex setting. It is estimated that about 1.5% of surgical interventions are complicated by critical events, but the true incidence is likely underestimated. Across medical specialties, preventable patient harm is more prevalent in the ICU.Recommendations and good practices for the safe provision of anesthesia and critical care exist and must be known and transferred into daily practice, since one of the main duties of anesthesia and critical care providers is to provide patient safety. Strategies to reduce the occurrence of medication errors, appropriate monitoring practices, equipment care and knowledge, planification and mastery of non-technical skills during emergencies, as well as designing and sustaining a healthy work environment and adopting adequate staffing policies could have an impact on patient safety and positively influence patient outcomes in this setting. The development of simulation training and cognitive aids (e.g., checklists, emergency manuals) is also changing the approach to crises and is expected to encourage a deeper cultural change.