Safe surgery: reducing the risk of retained items.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Safety
• Patient Risk Management
• Perioperative Care

Background:

• Retained surgical items (RSIs) are a preventable patient safety concern.
• Poor processes and communication are primary causes of RSIs.
• The Safe Surgery Saves Lives Campaign addresses perioperative safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify opportunities for practice review in surgical counting.
• To reduce risks associated with surgical procedures.
• To improve patient safety by minimizing retained surgical items.

Main Methods:

• Review of events related to surgical counts.
• Analysis of current surgical practices.
• Focus on team communication during the 'sign-out' process.

Main Results:

• Opportunities exist to enhance surgical counting practices.
• Improved processes can mitigate the risk of retained surgical items.
• Effective team communication is crucial for preventing RSIs.

Conclusions:

• Reviewing surgical counting practices is essential for patient safety.
• Implementing standardized 'sign-out' procedures can reduce retained surgical items.
• Enhancing communication protocols directly impacts perioperative patient safety.