Inside This Issue:
Flying Right
Adapting Aviation’s ‘Sterile Cockpit Rule’ to Improve Patient Safety in the OR
The “Sterile Cockpit Rule” is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation that was enacted in 1981 after a series of accidents were found to be caused by flight crew distraction from non-essential conversations during the most critical time of the flight takeoff and landing...
Patient Safety Q & A
Time-Outs - Worth the Time and the Trouble
Q: I’m a circulating nurse and usually lead the Time-Out. Most of the team takes the Time-Out very seriously– we understand that it’s really our last opportunity to catch a mistake and prevent a problem like wrong site surgery...
How ‘Talking Out Loud’ and ‘Stating the Obvious’ Can Prevent Surgical Fires
When a breathing tube caught fire in the mouth of a seven-year-old boy undergoing a tonsillectomy, the surgical team responded with fleet-footed alacrity. The surgeon pulled out the flaming uncuffed 5.5 tracheal tube, burning his own fingers. The anesthesiologist shut off all gases immediately. The boy was transferred to a pediatric intensive care unit and treated for second degree burns to his mouth, lips, and soft palate.
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