Abusive and disruptive behavior in the surgical team.

With six years of experience under his belt, Dr. Richards was hired as an anesthesiologist at a small private hospital. His first patient, Mr. Jarvis, was scheduled to undergo surgical resection of an abdominal tumor. Dr. Richards interviewed Mr. Jarvis and went over his record with him, discovering that his patient was 64 years old and had chronic hypertension. The attending surgeon, Dr. Palmatti, was a well-respected general and endocrine surgeon with over 30 years’ experience and the chief executive officer of the largest surgical group in the city. About an hour into the case, Dr. Palmatti instructed Dr. Richards to administer a fluid bolus and electrolytes.