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]
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