Distractions in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory: impact for cardiologists and patient safety.
Mahadevan K, Cowan E, Kalsi N, et al. Distractions in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory: impact for cardiologists and patient safety. Open Heart. 2020;7(2). doi:10.1136/openhrt-2020-001260.
Distractions and interruptions are common during delivery of health care. In this evaluation of 194 cardiac catheterization procedures at a single hospital, the authors found that fewer than half of all procedures were completed without interruption or distraction. The authors propose several actions such as the use of a ‘sterile cockpit’ to reduce distractions and improve patient safety.