Death in the operating room.

EATH I N THE OPERATING ROOM is always unpleasant. Yet this hazard can never be eliminated from our specialty, nor even minimized as long as seriously ill patients must be anesthetized and hazardous operations are undertaken. I t is human nature to want to forget the disagreeable, and to banish from our mind the memory of the fatality and the Gvents leading thereto. However, once a death has occurred, it is only through complete, frank, and intelligent discussion among all persons involved that the exact pathogenesis and cause can be determined. Armed with this information, members of the operating team can then strive to prevent a duplication of the tragedy.