Anesthesiology

Transfers of patient care and responsibility among caregivers, “handovers,” are common. Whether handovers worsen patient outcome remains unclear. An article in this issue of Anesthesiology presents evidence that intraoperative anesthesia care transitions are strongly associated with worse outcomes, with a similar effect size for attendings, residents, and nurse anesthetists. (Cover photo: J.P. Rathmell; illustration: A. Johnson, Vivo Visuals.)

• Dutton: Seamless Anesthesia Care: The Handover Process, p. 673

• Saager et al.: Intraoperative Transitions of Anesthesia Care and Postoperative Adverse Outcomes, p. 695