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When a hospital lacks a specialist to give anesthesia
Q I'm an FP in a small town where the hospital has no qualified anesthesiologist. When I do surgery, I have to use another FP or a nurse anesthetist to give anesthesia. If one of them bungled, would I share the blame in a malpractice suit?
A Yes. Because you'd be using somebody other than a qualified physician to administer anesthesia, you'd be considered the anesthetist's supervisor. So in the absence of an accredited specialist, you should be very careful about whom you select. Better yet: Refer patients to a different facility that has trained, qualified anesthesiologists.
Q I'm an FP in a small town where the hospital has no qualified anesthesiologist. When I do surgery, I have to use another FP or a nurse anesthetist to give anesthesia. If one of them bungled, would I share the blame in a malpractice suit?
A Yes. Because you'd be using somebody other than a qualified physician to administer anesthesia, you'd be considered the anesthetist's supervisor. So in the absence of an accredited specialist, you should be very careful about whom you select. Better yet: Refer patients to a different facility that has trained, qualified anesthesiologists.
