Background: The authors used the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project database to identify specific patterns of injury and legal liability associated with regional anesthesia. Because obstetrics represents a unique subset of patients, claims with neuraxial blockade were divided into obstetric and nonobstetric groups for comparison.
Methods: The American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Project is a structured evaluation of adverse anesthetic outcomes collected from closed anesthesia malpractice insurance claims of professional liability companies. An in-depth analysis of 1980-1999 regional anesthesia claims was performed with a subset comparison between obstetric and nonobstetric neuraxial anesthesia claims.
Results: Of the total 1,005 regional anesthesia claims, neuraxial blockade was used in 368 obstetric claims and 453 of 637 nonobstetric claims (71%). Damaging events in 51% of obstetric and 41% of nonobstetric neuraxial anesthesia claims were block related. Obstetrics had a higher proportion of neuraxial anesthesia claims with temporary and low-severity injuries (71%) compared with the nonobstetric group (38%; P
Conclusion: Obstetric claims were predominately associated with minor injuries. Permanent injury from eye blocks increased in the 1990s. Neuraxial cardiac arrest and neuraxial hematomas associated with coagulopathy remain sources of high-severity injury.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00000542-200407000-00023 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Enhancing Compliance With Preoperative Fasting Guidelines: A Closed-Loop Quality Improvement Initiative to Optimize Patient Safety and Outcomes.
Cureus
December 2024
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Moscow Regional Research and Clinical Institute, Moscow, RUS.
Introduction Preoperative fasting is essential in surgical care to reduce the risk of pulmonary aspiration during anesthesia. International guidelines, such as those from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA), recommend fasting durations of six hours for solids and two hours for clear liquids. However, adherence to these guidelines often varies in clinical practice, leading to prolonged fasting times that can negatively impact patient outcomes, including dehydration, hypoglycemia, discomfort, and delayed recovery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvantages of the standardized use of preoperative fascia iliaca block versus conventional analgesia in older adults with fragility hip fracture: A retrospective cohort study at two hospitals in Colombia.
Sci Prog
January 2025
Orthopaedics, Hospital Universitario Fundacion Santa Fe de Bogotá, Bogotá, Colombia.
Hospital admission due to fragility hip fracture has increased significantly in recent years. In patients with hip fracture, perioperative pain management is usually with opioids, whose dosage is difficult to adjust and have many side effects, especially in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact and the advantages of the implementation of the fascia iliaca blockade in older adults with hip fracture due to fragility included in the Orthogeriatric Clinical Care Center of the Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá and the San José Infantil University Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF[Effectiveness of peripheral nerve blockade in pain management for patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a retrospective observational study].
Acta Ortop Mex
January 2025
Unidad de Investigación. Clínica INDISA. Santiago, Chile.
Introduction: therapeutic equivalence has been established in the effectiveness of peripheral nerve blocks in the management of pain in the postoperative period of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. However, it is unknown whether this effect is modulated by the anesthesiologist's experience. The objective was to describe the effectiveness of peripheral nerve blocks during the first 24 hours of the postoperative period, considering patient characteristics and the anesthesiologist's experience.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInstructional design features in ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia simulation-based training: a systematic review.
Anaesthesia
January 2025
Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Introduction: Ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia enhances pain control, patient outcomes and lowers healthcare costs. However, teaching this skill effectively presents challenges with current training methods. Simulation-based medical education offers advantages over traditional methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmniotic Fluid Embolism After Cervical Ripening.
Cureus
December 2024
Obstetrics, Orlando Regional Medical Center, Orlando, USA.
Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare condition that can have catastrophic maternal and infant consequences. It can lead to rapid multisystem failure and is responsible for a significant portion of maternal deaths. The diagnosis is frequently made late in the pathological process, and the treatment is mainly supportive and infant delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!