Key result
Major surgical complications occur in up to ~16% of cases, causing 1 million deaths annually.
Why the study?
Safe surgery remains a global issue with significant rates of major complications, disability, and death despite widespread surgical procedures.
Does the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist improve outcomes in patients undergoing surgical procedures?
Does the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist improve outcomes in patients undergoing surgical procedures?
This review highlights the significant global burden of surgical complications and the potential role of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.
Persistent surgical complication rates warrant vigilance; leaves open optimal strategies for global reduction.
Safe surgery is a world-wide recognised issue. The World Health Organization statistics show that the occurrence of major complications is between 3 and 16%, and the occurrence of disability and death is between 0.4 and 0.8% (WHO 2009). According to Vijayasekar and Steele (2009) 234 million major surgical procedures are undertaken globally each year. The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has collated over 1 million reports of surgical incidences in England and Wales between October 2006 and September 2007. Weiser et al (2008) quote a world-wide figure of 7 million individuals affected with a disabling complication, and a death rate of 1 million.
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Susan Jones (2011) conducted a review in Surgical complications. World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist was evaluated. A critical review of the literature highlights the global burden of surgical complications, with major complications occurring in 3-16% of cases and a global death rate of 1 million annually.
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