While wrong site surgeries only happen in about 1 of 112,000 surgical procedures, that one instance is what The Joint Commission hopes to help clinicians prevent. Engaging surgical staff in the Time Out safety procedure prior to first incision is vital, the organization says.
"We need to approach every surgical case as if it could be the wrong site surgery one and make every effort from preop to postop to prevent such an adverse event from occurring," Haytham Kaafarani, MD, the chief patient safety officer and medical director for The Joint Commission said in a statement.
The Time Out is a final, important safety check before further action is taken during a surgical procedure and allows for surgical staff to reassess and make sure every detail is correct before continuing. Ahead of National Time Out Day on June 14, Dr. Kaafarani listed suggestions for teams to keep them focused during the site marking process rather than routinely checking off another to-do item since many errors can stem from wrong site markings.
He suggests:
- Clearly mark the surgical site as close to the planned incision area as possible.
- Using radiographic imaging for site marking if a surgical site is not visible, such as for organs.
- Ensuring the site is visible throughout the procedure during the Time Out period and the time of first incision.