Patient Safety: Anesthesia in Remote Locations

The safety of anesthesia delivered in the operating room is enhanced by the standardization and reliability built into that environment, which has prescriptive and detailed protocols for almost every procedure performed. Experienced anesthesiologists come to rely on these operating room characteristics to support the delivery of safe care. Anesthesiologists giving anesthesia outside the operating room often find themselves in settings that lack this rigor and that therefore challenge safety. This article describes the basic concepts in safety, with an emphasis on teamwork and communication, and then discusses how their application ensures safe care in remote locations.