The document discusses the surgical safety checklist recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). It was created to improve communication among surgical teams and reduce avoidable complications and deaths associated with surgery. The checklist is intended to be used at three critical times: before anesthesia, before incision, and before the patient leaves the operating room. It contains steps to confirm the correct patient, prevent errors, and ensure key safety practices are followed. Studies have found the checklist significantly improves surgical outcomes when properly implemented.

1. SURGICAL SAFETY
CHECKLIST
PRESENTER:
Dr Pushpendra Singh
Dr Niraj Raj
Guide:
Dr. John Mukhopadhaya

2. Introduction
 Definition :- Safety checklists in medicine are designed to identify a
potential error before it results in harm to a patient
 Why is a checklist ?
 When ?
 Strategies

3. Why a checklist
 To avoid surgery of wrong patients, wrong side.
 To improve team communication and consistency of care.
 To avoid: complications and avoidable death associated
with surgery.
 To avoid: adverse legal issues

4. When surgical safety checklist
apply?
 WHO checklist be completed for every patient undergoing a
surgical procedure.
 The WHO has defined a surgical condition as ‘any condition that
requires suture, incision, excision, manipulation, or other invasive
procedure that usually, but not always, requires local, regional, or
general anesthesia.
 Invasive procedures requiring written consent, even if not
involving surgeons, should be considered to be ‘surgical
procedures’ for the purposes of this checklist.

5. Surgical safety checklist
 In 2008, WHO ( 2008)
 Intended to be globally applicable

6. The Role Of Surgical Safety
Checklist
Oral confirmation by surgical teams of the completion of
the basic steps to ensure:
 Safe delivery of anaesthesia
 Prophylaxis against infection
 Effective team work
 Other essentials

7. How the checklist is used
It is used at three critical juncture:
 Sign in: before anaesthesia is administered,
 Time out: immediately before incision and
 Sign out: before the patient is taken out of the operating
room.

11. World Health Organization’s 10
aims for safe surgery.
 1 The team will operate on the correct patient at the correct
site.
 2 The team will use methods known to prevent harm from
administration of anaesthetics, while protecting the patient
from pain.
 3 The team will recognise and effectively prepare for life
threatening loss of airway or respiratory function.
 4 The team will recognise and effectively prepare for risk of
high blood loss.
 5 The team will avoid inducing an allergic or adverse drug
reaction for which the patient is known to be at significant
risk

12.  6 The team will consistently use methods known to minimise the risk
for surgical site infection.
 7 The team will prevent inadvertent retention of instruments or
sponges in surgical wounds.
 8 The team will secure and accurately identify all surgical specimens.
 9 The team will effectively communicate and exchange critical
information for the safe conduct of the operation.
 10 Hospitals and public health systems will establish routine
surveillance of surgical capacity, volume and results.

13. Outcome of checklist
 Marked improvements in surgical outcomes

14. Take Home

15. Take Home
 EVERY CHECK CAN SAVE LIFE
 Can help us to be safe for our work and safe for our patient.