- medical files confusion;
- haste that causes the wrong location to be marked;
- poor communication; and
- failure to follow pre-op procedures.
Pre-Surgery Procedures
Medical professionals such as doctors, nurses and their surgerical assistants are required to adhere to some form of pre-surgery regulations. These regulations are in place to ensure the safety of an operation and serve as standard precautions to avoid harmful surgical mistakes. However, they can vary depending on a hospital’s requirement. Some of the necessary pre-surgery steps all medical professionals should take to avoid wrong-site surgery include:- Verification – This is where all the medical personnel that will be conducting the surgery meet as a group to confirm the type of surgical procedure, the correct patient and the site of the surgery.
- Marking the site – The exact site for the surgery is pre-marked by one of the medical staff. This individual should be present during the operation.
- Calling a time out – This is a repetition of the verification step, which is done to eliminate all possibilities for errors. This is done right before any incision is made and is initiated by a designated staff member.
- verification of the intended procedure;
- marking the intended surgical site; and
- time-out period.