- Clemens R M Barends, anaesthetics registrar ,
- Anthony R Absalom, professor of anaesthesia, consultant anaesthetist
- 1University Medical Centre Groningen, Department of Anaesthesiology, Groningen, Netherlands
- Correspondence to: C R M Barends clemensbarends{at}gmail.com
Why does every anaesthetic procedure involve a trail of lines and tubes resembling spaghetti? Apart from the frustration this mess generates, it can also be detrimental to patient safety. Monitoring equipment can become undone, intravenous drips can be removed, and endotracheal tubes can become dislodged. Is it carelessness to allow this situation to occur and do we have to apologise at handovers for such a mess? How do these knots arise despite our attempts to prevent them? Studies of knots by mathematicians, physicists, and statisticians provide a reassuring answer.
Mathematics
Topology and knot theory describe how knots can only be formed by a line crossing under and then over itself. A circle can never create a true knot as there are no loose ends for a crossover to occur. Creating a …
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