Steps taken by your healthcare team as surgical safety measures

Surgical procedures are often complex and require a great deal of preparation. Apart from skills training and ascertaining the eligibility of the patient, it is important that the surgical team take adequate safety measures. A number of them may be simple ones such as scrubbing, donning the surgical gown and gloves, and sterilising the equipment. The OR must be a sterile field to minimise risk of exposure to pathogens and other infections.

In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a Surgical Safety Checklist which is followed in most countries of the world. It specifies the steps to be taken by the surgical team to eliminate risk of errors and infection. Your hospital or medical center may use this checklist or a variation of it.

·        Sign in – A number of protocols are to be followed by the surgical team before administering the anaesthesia for an operative procedure. Some of these, such as sterilisation and arrangement of surgical instruments, may be done before the patient is taken into the OR. The explanation of the surgical procedure and obtaining of consent is an important sign-in procedure. During this process, the surgical staff will confirm the identity of the patient, check the medical history, mark the incision site, and obtain information about medical allergies. The surgical team will also follow the protocols related to anaesthesia administration and prepare for blood transfusion if required.

·        Time-out - The time-out protocol is a number of steps undertaken before the skin incision is made. The surgical team members will introduce themselves and reconfirm their roles in the surgical team. The team will also review the surgical and anaesthesia plans and check the patient's consent.  After this the anaesthesia is administered.

·        Sign-out - Following the surgical procedure, the surgical team will review the procedure and undertake the necessary documentation. The sponges, needles, and surgical instruments are checked, the specimens or tissue collected are labelled, and the recovery plan formulated at this time. The specimens are then sent for investigation along with proper documentation. This is also the stage when the surgical team leaves detailed instructions for post-op care.

Following the surgical procedure, the patient is shifted to the recovery room and monitored for signs of distress. The surgical team and the patient’s family is debriefed at this stage.

Surgical equipment and medical devices play an important role in the success of any surgery. It is important that the surgical team is equipped with the best available surgical devices and equipment procured from reliable medical stockists such as Smart Medical Buyer. Maintenance, care, and replacement of these are also equally important when it comes to reducing the risks involved in a surgical procedure.