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Operating Room Pre-Surgery Safety Checklist

Medium 14 items · 20 min
testuser's avatar
testuser Published 4 months ago
Health

This checklist helps surgical teams perform essential pre-operative checks to reduce preventable errors and improve patient safety. It’s designed for operating room staff, anesthetists, and surgical teams to use during Sign In, Time Out, and Sign Out. Inspired by World Health Organization guidelines on Operating Room Pre-Surgery Safety. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Inspired by World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional where applicable.

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  1. Verify patient identity — Confirm full name and date of birth against wristband and chart.
  2. Confirm informed consent — Ensure consent matches the planned procedure and is signed.
  3. Review allergies and current medications — Ask the patient and check the chart for allergies and blood thinners.
  4. Confirm and mark the surgical site — Mark the exact procedure site with the patient involved when possible.
  5. Perform anesthesia machine and medication checks — Verify monitors, oxygen, suction, lines, and that meds are labeled.
  6. Confirm availability of required equipment and implants — Check that special devices and implants are sterile and on hand.
  7. Complete baseline instrument and sponge count — Record initial counts of instruments, sponges, and sharps before incision.
  8. Ensure sterility of instruments and surgical field — Confirm wraps, seals, and drapes are intact; replace if compromised.
  9. Introduce team members and state roles (Time Out) — Each team member says name and role so responsibilities are clear.
  10. Perform Time Out to confirm patient, procedure, and site — Pause with the full team present to verbally confirm key details and critical steps.
  11. Verify prophylactic antibiotics timing — Confirm antibiotics were given within the recommended window if required.
  12. Label and prepare any specimens — Label specimens with patient name, ID, and source before sending to the lab.
  13. Reconcile instrument and sponge counts before closure — Repeat counts and resolve mismatches before wound closure.
  14. Document equipment issues and confirm post-op plan (Sign Out) — Note any equipment problems, review recovery instructions, and hand off to post-op team.
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