Factors associated with unanticipated day of surgery deaths in Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals.
Bishop MJ, Souders JE, Peterson CM, et al. Factors associated with unanticipated day of surgery deaths in Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. Anesth Analg. 2008;107(6):1924-35. doi:10.1213/ane.0b013e31818af8f3.
This study examines contributors to unexpected deaths in low-risk surgical patients, and concludes that patient and surgical factors were responsible for most deaths. The utility of examining unexpected deaths was discussed in a recent AHRQ WebM&M commentary.