Peri‐operative pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents: a review of NHS Resolution claims

Peri-operative pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents: a review of NHS Resolution claimsIn the Fourth National Audit Project (NAP4) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents caused 50% of deaths related to complications of airway management [1].The incidence of aspiration during anaesthesia is 1:900-1:3900 cases [2], with death occurring in 1:50,000-1:72,000 [2, 3].The deaths of Pamela Marking and William King, and the subsequent Prevention of Future Deaths report [4], have renewed concerns regarding variation in induction practice and aspiration risk.Closed claims offer a complementary lens to incident reporting and national audits, capturing patient experience; perceived failures in clinical care or communication; and cost