The WFSA and patient safety in the perioperative setting.

摘要

Since its foundation in 1955, the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) has dedicated its resources to improving the standard of anesthesia world wide. It does this in a variety of ways-through education programs, publications, scientific collaboration, and the setting of standards for anesthesia practice.An independent International Task Force on Anaesthesia Safety developed a set of standards which were adopted by WFSA in 1992.These standards were updated and approved by the general assembly of WFSA in March of 2008. They are recommended for professionals throughout the world and are available on the WFSA websiteIn many areas of the world, these standards are already met or are even exceeded. However, in environments where resources are scarce, achieving these standards may remain a distant goal, yet a worthwhile goal nevertheless. In Uganda, a recent survey3 delineated the need, not only for monitors and machines, but also for some of the most basic essentials for safe anesthesia. Eighty percent of-respondents did not always have electricity, 44% lacked running water, and 30% did not always have intravenous fluids. Twenty-three percent of participants had the essentials to provide safe anesthesia to an adult, but only 6% could provide a safe anesthetic for Cesarean delivery. Only 13% of respondents could provide safe anesthesia to a child less than 5 years old. A similar survey in Moldova in August 2007 (G. Iohom, personal communication) demonstrated a lack of anesthesia equipment that many would consider essential to the provision of safe anesthesia. So how do WFSA standards apply in such settings?