Deaths on the Table: Proposal for an International Convention on the Investigation and Prevention of Anaesthetic Mortality

Abstract

There is a significant risk of mortality associated with anaesthesia which is distinct from that related to any relevant surgery or intercurrent disease. As a matter of pure logic patients worldwide should be entitled to expect a basic minimum of knowledge and skills from an anaesthetist, as well as his or her use of standard monitoring equipment. In an age where the global provision of health services and equipment may be increasingly dominated under trade-promoting international agreements, by a few transnational corporations, and where technology faciliates dissemination of medical data, a unified, worldwide approach to the investigation and prevention of anaesthetic mortality appears both rational and urgent.

Keywords: Anaesthetic mortality, international convention, patient safety, health system mortality, globalisation