1. Verbal verification should be active. One of the most common causes of wrong-site surgery is miscommunication between the surgeon, medical staff and surgical facility. Surgeons must verify all information with the nurse before the patient enters the OR, and verbal verifications should be met with an active response, according to the report.
2. Follow clinical guidelines for signing the site. Studies show that the ink used to mark surgical sites doesn’t risk infection, which means surgeons can use this method to ensure the appropriate site is operated on. While some surgeons have their own method of signing or delegating out the responsibility, the best way to minimize the risk of wrong-site surgery is to follow the clinical guidelines, according to the report.
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3. Conduct a time out for each separate procedure. The OR team should have a time out for each separate procedure performed on the patient, including anesthetic blocks. The marked surgical site should be visible and referenced during the time out, according to the report. Nobody should engage in any non-critical activities during time outs, and surgeons should encourage the others to speak up and resolve any concerns during this time.
4. Pay attention to the data. Physicians often get set in their routines or habits and do not want to change, even if a new step to the process could prevent surgical errors. Surgeons may want to pay close attention to data available about wrong-site surgery and apply any tactics that show a significant decrease in these types of errors to improve patient safety, according to the report.
Read the AAOS Now report on wrong-site surgery.
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