WHO Surgical Safety Checklist

The World Health Organization (WHO) published the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist in 2008 in order to increase the safety of patients undergoing surgery.[1] The checklist serves to remind the surgical team of important items to be performed before and after the surgical procedure in order to reduce adverse events such as surgical site infections or retained instruments.[1] It is one affordable and sustainable tool for reducing deaths from surgery in low and middle income countries.[2]

Several studies have shown the checklist to reduce the rate of deaths and surgical complications by as much as one-third in centres where it is used.[3][4] While the checklist has been widely adopted due to its efficacy in many studies as well as for its simplicity, some hospitals still struggle with implementation due to local customs and to a lack of buy-in from surgical staff.[5]

  1. ^ a b "WHO surgical safety checklist and implementation manual". World Health Organization. 2010-12-08. Archived from the original on July 2, 2008. Retrieved 2015-04-23.
  2. ^ Mock CN, Donkor P, Gawande A, Jamieson DT, Kruk ME, Debas HT (2015). "1. Essential surgery: key messages of this volume". In Debas HT, Peter D, Gawande A, Jamison DT, Kruk ME (eds.). Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (Volume 1): Essential Surgery. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Washington: World Bank Publications. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-4648-0346-8.
  3. ^ "Decade of improved outcomes for patients thanks to Surgical Safety Checklist". www.england.nhs.uk. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  4. ^ "WHO | WHO Surgical Safety Checklist". WHO. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :15 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).