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Figure from article: Medical gas management in...
Medical gas management in healthcare – safety systems, legal liability, and ‘Never Events’ risk analysis
Kamila Ćwik 1
 
 
 
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Laboratory of Management Education in Health Care, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
 
 
Corresponding author
Kamila Ćwik   

Laboratory of Management Education in Health Care, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
 
 
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26444/aaem/220372
 
 
Article (PDF, 850.39 kB)
References (29)
 
KEYWORDS
patient safety
risk management
healthcare system
safety culture
legal responsibility
medical gases
healthcare facility manager
‘never events’
Swiss cheese model
 
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Medical gases are indispensable in contemporary healthcare. Their dual status as medicinal products and medical devices generates specific clinical, legal, and organizational risks. The aim of this review was to summarize current knowledge of medical gas management.

Material and Methods:
A narrative review of literature was conducted retrieved from databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar using the key words, legal regulations and documented case reports of medical gas–related incidents. The ‘Swiss cheese’ model was applied as a conceptual framework for identifying systemic vulnerabilities.

Brief description of the state of knowledge:
The literature indicates that severe medical gas incidents are predominantly caused by system-level failures rather than isolated human error.

Conclusions:
Medical gas systems should be recognized as life-critical infrastructure requiring integrated risk management, and clearly defined interdisciplinary responsibilities.
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