Closed claims from Switzerland: an important contribution to improving patient safety in anaesthesia.

Studies based on closed claims are very important in our efforts to improve patient safety. For patients, complications of anaesthesia can be compared with ‘friendly fire’. Harm is done unintentionally by somebody whose aim was to help. Patients may be seriously injured or even die due to a complication of anaesthesia, and such events may also lead to serious psychological consequences for the responsible anaesthesiologist.