Complete Anesthesia Handover in Cardiac Surgery Leads to Worse Outcomes

Handing a patient off from one anesthesiologist to another during cardiac surgery is associated with significantly higher risks of mortality, as well as longer stays in the ICU and hospital, a new study has shown. Researchers suspect that even though the incoming anesthesiologist is given the patient’s complete medical history, some “intangible” details could be lost in the transfer, contributing to worse outcomes.