An outpatient surgery patient received general anesthesia, went back to work the same day, and drove a busful of passengers 95 miles.1 Another surgical patient left a health care facility where he had received general anesthesia, went home, and used a chain saw.
One procedure is finished. The surgeon is ready for the next patient. Turnover time is critical. Everyone moves quickly from one area to the next. What about your documentation?
None of us would get in our cars and go to a movie without knowing what time the show started or drive to the airport for a flight unless we knew the flight time. And we certainly wouldnt cook a roast unless we knew at what temperature to set the oven.
Of the more than 27 million outpatient surgeries performed each year, approximately 100 surgical fires occur, resulting in up to 20 serious injuries and one or two patient deaths annually, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and ECRI, a Plymouth Meeting, PA-based nonprofit health research firm.
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