Anesthesiology
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Since 1985, the Committee on Professional Liability of the American Society of Anesthesiologists has evaluated closed anesthesia malpractice claims. This study compared pediatric and adult closed claims with respect to the mechanisms of injury, outcome, the costs, and the role of care judged to be substandard. ⋯ Comparison of adult and pediatric closed claims revealed a large prevalence of respiratory related damaging events--most frequently related to inadequate ventilation. In the opinion of the reviewers, 89% of the pediatric claims related to inadequate ventilation could have been prevented with pulse oximetry and/or end tidal CO2 measurement. However, pulse oximetry appeared to prevent poor outcome in only one of seven claims in which pulse oximetry was used and could possibly have done so.