[The circulation of anesthetic agents at Edouard-Herriot Hospital]

In order to improve quality, practice evaluation is a major tool for hospital management. For many years anaesthesia has been monitored by some form of quality assurance programme. However, despite the improvement in anaesthetic techniques, major problems persist, particularly with the use of anaesthetic agents. Drug administration is the first cause for malpractice and death in anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to analyse drug circuits in anaesthesia, with special reference to French regulations. In 13 theatres, doctors and nurse anaesthetists were interviewed by a pharmacist with a focus on following items: prescription, preparation, administration, management, storage, conservation, information, and regulations. Results demonstrated that practice organisation and information transfers were mainly by oral route. The low proportion of written information, especially for preoperative prescription, did not comply with regulations. Nurse anaesthetists were the main actors in drug handling. Common practice patterns throughout the hospital were non existing. In each theatre, a storage of usual drugs for four weeks was found, whereas in pharmacies drugs were stocked for a 2-week period only. Standardised and written procedures, as well as pharmaceutical practice guidelines, are essential for decreasing the risk and improving quality. Such a procedure requires the full participation of anaesthetists and nurses.