The importance of critical incident reporting in anaesthesia

Abstract

As a cornerstone of modern surgical and perioperative practice, anaesthesiologists are tasked with ensuring patient comfort and procedural safety during the perioperative period. Anaesthesia, however, remains a high-risk specialty where even minor lapses can lead to catastrophic outcomes. During the last three decades, critical incident reporting (CIR) has emerged as a vital tool in improving patient safety and refining anaesthetic practices.1,2 Despite its proven learning benefits, barriers remain within the anaesthetic community of practice in the implementation of CIR procedures. To address these obstacles, it first requires identification of specific barriers relevant to our own context, followed by cultivating a shift toward transparency, accountability, and continuous learning.