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Chapter 38 - Understanding Intraoperative Death

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2022

By
Daniel Rodger  and
Heather Hartley
Edited by
Daniel Rodger ,
Kevin Henshaw ,
Paul Rawling  and
Scott Miller
Daniel Rodger
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer in Perioperative Practice, London South Bank University
Kevin Henshaw
Affiliation:
Associate Head of Allied Health Professions, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk
Paul Rawling
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer in Perioperative Practice, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk
Scott Miller
Affiliation:
Consultant Anaesthetist, St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust
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Summary

Surgery and general anaesthesia are invasive and inherently risky. A rarely discussed reality of perioperative care is that sometimes patients die during anaesthesia and surgery, and many perioperative practitioners are not suitably prepared to handle such an event and its aftermath. Despite the rarity of intraoperative deaths, the experiences of those involved show that there is the potential for a long-lasting impact on individuals and teams. This chapter summarises the incidence of intraoperative death, reviews the potential impact on perioperative practitioners, and explores the different approaches to navigate their aftermath.

Keywords

DeathStressDebriefingMortalitySurgeryMental HealthDepressionTrauma
Type
Chapter
Information
Fundamentals of Operating Department Practice , pp. 432 - 442
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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