Simple Step Add-in to Improve Patient Safety: A Technical Note.

Elham A Elgabaly,Ling Hong Lee,Sattar Alshryda,Haidar Alfuqaha

doi:10.7759/cureus.6592

Abstract

Human factors and systems factors can affect surgical performance, including the operating room (OR) environment, teamwork and communication, technology and equipment, tasks and workload factors, and organizational variables.Patient safety is a new healthcare discipline that emphasizes the reporting, analysis, and prevention of medical errors that often lead to adverse healthcare events.We are highlighting a potential error and hazardous situation, which may occur due to the difficulty in reading the embossed letters of some ampoules because of the typeface of these ampoules. This problem is particularly important in the ORs, which require special sterile conditions.We are adding a simple step to help in the differentiation between plastic, embossed ampoules. This simple and easy-to-do step makes it possible for accurate and correct identification, without jeopardizing the safety of the patients and health care professionals.

Highlights

Surgical outcomes have been attributed primarily to the technical skills of the surgeon and the medical condition and comorbidities of the patients
Many studies have reported that the surgical outcome is affected by these two factors and that other factors can contribute to the outcome of the surgery, such as the work system factors, the human factor, the operating room (OR) environment, teamwork, and communication [1]
We find that dipping the clear plastic, embossed ampoule in a readily available povidone-iodine antiseptic solution at the start of the procedure, or when needed, improves contrast and reading (Figure 1) and renders the vial sterile

Summary

Introduction

Surgical outcomes have been attributed primarily to the technical skills of the surgeon and the medical condition and comorbidities of the patients. Local anesthetics are commonly used agents in surgery and radiological procedures They are usually administered in a sterile or aseptic environment, with the scrub nurse holding the ampoule for the surgeon to crosscheck its expiry date and content. We find that dipping the clear plastic, embossed ampoule in a readily available povidone-iodine antiseptic solution at the start of the procedure, or when needed, improves contrast and reading (Figure 1) and renders the vial sterile. This conveniently improves the ampoule’s readability and reduces the potential for error.

Discussion

Conclusions

Disclosures