Summary
Many anaesthetists will be involved with an anaesthetic catastrophe at some point in their career; this may be an expected or unexpected death, or serious injury to a patient. The psychological impact on staff should not be underestimated. This guideline suggests pragmatic ways of dealing with the aftermath of such a catastrophe.
The advice and information includes:
- What to do immediately after the event
- Dealing with the patient’s relatives
- Dealing with the media
- The role of the anaesthesia department and the Trust/Board
- How do deal emotionally with a catastrophic event
- Medico-legal issues, and the GMC