Ensuring patient safety during surgical procedures, reducing the risk of medical errors and coordinating the work of the operating team are of particular importance. For this purpose, the World Health Organization developed the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist, which includes key checks to be performed at critical stages of surgery.
One of the important stages of this checklist is “Time Out”. This check is carried out before skin incision, with the participation of all members of the operating team.
The main purpose of “Time Out” is to reconfirm information about the patient, the planned procedure, the surgical site and possible risks before surgery begins, and to ensure that the entire team has the same and correct information.
What is checked during “Time Out”?
First of all, all members of the operating team introduce themselves by name and role. This helps establish clear and effective communication among team members.
The patient’s identity, the planned procedure and the surgical site are then reconfirmed. This is an important step in preventing serious errors such as performing surgery on the wrong patient, carrying out the wrong procedure or operating on the wrong part of the body.
The surgeon informs the team about critical or potentially difficult steps of the operation, its expected duration and possible blood loss. The anaesthetist, in turn, communicates any significant patient-specific risks.
The nursing team confirms the sterility status, the readiness of surgical instruments and any issues related to the equipment required for the procedure.
If antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated, it is checked whether it has been administered within the previous 60 minutes. The availability of essential radiological images required for the operation is also confirmed.
Team communication – an important condition for safe surgery
“Time Out” is not merely a formal check. It gives all members of the operating team an opportunity to review essential information together before surgery, discuss possible risks in advance and determine the necessary measures.
Clear communication between the surgeon, anaesthetist and nursing team plays an important role in preventing errors and unexpected situations during surgery.
Patient safety – a priority
Proper and complete implementation of the “Time Out” stage contributes to the safe organisation of surgical care. Its main purpose is to confirm before skin incision that the entire team has the same and correct information, to discuss potential risks in advance and to prevent surgical errors.
Only after the “Time Out” has been completed does the direct surgical stage – the skin incision – begin.
A responsible approach to every stage of the Surgical Safety Checklist is one of the important conditions for protecting the life and health of patients, improving the quality of medical services and developing a culture of safety in healthcare organisations.
IQ Tech
