Using checklists to improve patient safety during anaesthesia

Abstract

<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:</jats:bold> It is inevitable that human errors will sometimes happen in practice, but these can be reduced by following some strict, straightforward checklists; these can serve as ‘aide-mémoires’, ‘challenge/response’ or ‘read and do’ checks, and are particularly important during the induction of, and emergence from, anaesthetic procedures.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Aim of the article:</jats:bold> This article highlights the importance of checklists, and explores the comparison between human healthcare checklists and those used in veterinary medicine.</jats:p>