
Non-operating room anaesthesia (NORA) or non-operating theatre anaesthesia (NOTA) will represent 50% of all anaesthesia cases within a decade. Caring for older, medically complex patients in environments not historically used nor designed for anaesthesia care could create higher rates of mortality and morbidity in comparison with the operating theatre, particularly in cardiology and radiology. Estimates of adverse events in NOTA range from <1% to 2.5%. Given known under-reporting of critical incidents, collecting surveys and narratives of incidents can guide a system safety approach to identify risks prospectively and develop mitigation strategies that reduce the potential for adverse outcomes.
Citation:
Alfred, M., Herman, A., Wilson, D., Neyens, D., Jaruzel, C., Tobin, C., Reves, JG., Catchpole, K. (in press). Anaesthesia providers’ perceptions of system safety and critical incidents in non-operating theatre anaesthesia. British Journal of Anaesthesia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2021.12.041