Skip Navigation
The Collection >
Wrong-side/wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient adverse events: are they preventable?
Seiden SC, Barach P. Arch Surg. 2006;141:931-939.
Although instances of wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient adverse events (WSPEs) have been widely publicized, the true incidence of such errors remains unclear. A prior study indicated a rate of approximately 1 case per 112,000 surgeries, but WSPEs may occur in the outpatient setting or in ambulatory surgery as well. In this study, the authors reviewed four databases to determine the incidence of all WSPEs, including procedures performed outside the operating room. Data from both mandatory and voluntary reporting systems indicates that approximately 1300 to 2700 WSPEs occur yearly, with many occurring during outpatient procedures. The authors argue that all WSPEs should be considered preventable, and recommend reporting and prevention standards for reducing such errors.
PubMed citation icon indicating hyperlink to external website
Free full text icon indicating hyperlink to external website
white box
Related Resources
STUDY
Operating room briefings and wrong-site surgery.
Makary MA, Mukherjee A, Sexton BJ, et al. J Am Coll Surg. 2007;204:236-243.
COMMENTARY
Right? Left? Neither!
Howell EA, Chassin MR. AHRQ WebM&M [serial online]. May 2006.
REVIEW
Avoiding wrong site surgery: a systematic review.
DeVine J, Chutkan N, Norvell DC, Dettori JR. Spine. 2010;35(suppl 9):S28-S36.
View all related resources...
white box
Download: Adobe Reader   email icon Email
tan box
white box