Unplanned Extubation in the Perioperative Environment

by Lauren Berkow, MD, FASA, and Arthur Kanowitz, MD, FACEP

• Medical costs of PI management

• Health professional time

• Withheld reimbursement

• Financial penalties

• Litigation costs

• Potential court-ruled damages and settlements

• Cost of insurance policies due to negative litigation history

• Cost of “swapping” one device for another

• Personal impact on the patient

• Reduced quality of life for patients and their families

• Psychological and emotional impact, such as disfigurement of the face and head

• Damage to the quality and safety reputation of the institution

• Cost of device abandonment