Recent study shows an association between complete handover of anesthesia care of a patient from one anesthesiologist to another and adverse postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing major surgery.
MLMIC’s most recent Case Review (Winter 2016) contains a perspective on a case with both a catastrophic outcome and serious legal and risk management deficits. The case study – involving paralysis from spinal surgery – highlights not only clear and continuous lack of communication between a variety of providers but also several failures of documentation.
Physicians must be aware of both the restrictions on scope of practice for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and their own responsibilities and liabilities in supervising CRNAs.