Articles: checklist.
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Guideline
Checking anaesthetic equipment 2012: association of anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.
A pre-use check to ensure the correct functioning of anaesthetic equipment is essential to patient safety. The anaesthetist has a primary responsibility to understand the function of the anaesthetic equipment and to check it before use. Anaesthetists must not use equipment unless they have been trained to use it and are competent to do so. ⋯ A two-bag test should be performed after the breathing system, vaporisers and ventilator have been checked individually. A record should be kept with the anaesthetic machine that these checks have been done. The 'first user' check after servicing is especially important and must be recorded.
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Clinical Trial
Implementation of an evidence-based extubation checklist to reduce extubation failure in patients with trauma: a pilot study.
This prospective, case-controlled observational study assessed whether an evidence-based extubation checklist would increase anesthesia providers' documentation of standardized extubation criteria and reduce the occurrence of preventable extubation failures in the early postoperative period. The sample consisted of 622 ASA Physical Status I to IV patients, aged 10 to 100 years but primarily adults, who underwent elective and emergency surgeries at a university-based adult trauma teaching hospital. Before the study, all anesthesia and postanesthesia care unit staff received an in-service on adherence to an evidence-based extubation checklist, followed by implementation of the checklist for 12 weeks. ⋯ Following use of the extubation checklist, documentation of patient readiness for extubation increased from 54% to 92.5%, and extubation failures decreased from 2.5 per month to 7.2 per month. This study confirmed that extubation failure occurred less frequently when the extubation checklist was used (P = .001, Fisher exact test). Study results indicate that an extubation checklist may positively influence provider documentation of evidence-based criteria for extubation and can reduce the occurrence of preventable extubation failures.
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Jun 2012
Surgical time out checklist with debriefing and multidisciplinary feedback improves venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in thoracic surgery: a prospective audit.
There is a significant global burden of preventable morbidity and mortality after surgery caused by avoidable adverse events. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis, despite evidence for its efficacy, is not reliably and consistently prescribed, and is currently a serious concern for patient safety. The aim of this study was to prospectively audit errors captured by an extended surgical time out checklist and relate them to the introduction of a safety culture. ⋯ Use of checklists alongside appropriate human factors training, debriefing and regular multidisciplinary communication can substantially improve VTE prophylaxis in patients undergoing surgery.
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Jt Comm J Qual Patient Saf · Jun 2012
Incorporating the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist into practice at two hospitals in Liberia.
The impact of the World Health Organization's Patient Safety Programme's 19-item Surgical Safety Checklist on surgical processes and outcomes was assessed in 2008-2009 at two hospitals in the resource-limited setting of Liberia. ⋯ Although the implementation of a surgical safety checklist in Liberia was associated with significant improvements in processes and outcomes overall, differences at the hospital level suggest that the checklist's mechanism of improvement may be influenced by the availability of resources needed to complete recommended processes, variation in team functioning, and organizational context.