Safety in the OR: Who’s in and Who’s out?

Excerpt

According to the Institute of Medicine report, 2% to 4% of hospitalized patients experience an injury as a result of medical management and 7% to 14% die as a result, making errors the eighth leading cause of death in the US.1 The Harvard Medical Practice Study found that the most common adverse events for all hospitalized patients were related to medication administration (19%), but wound infection and technical complications accounted for 14% and 13%, respectively.1 As we examine the potential sources for error in the surgical patient, it is clear that a substantial number of individuals (including nurses, physicians, technicians, residents, medical students, nursing students, pharmacists, anesthesiologists, midlevel practitioners, proctors, pharmaceutical or device representatives, pharmacists, and others) care for each patient in the operating room and throughout their hospitalization, each with the potential to make a mistake or error. It is therefore not surprising that the rate of adverse events in hospitalized patients rises approximately 6% per inpatient day.1 Examination of errors is therefore a key factor in identifying preventable injuries and developing safer hospitals and operating rooms. …