Journal of perioperative practice
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What are 'non-technical' skills and why would they be relevant to theatre practitioners? This is a new area of research for healthcare based on a well developed approach from the world of aviation. Non-technical skills are the cognitive and social skills that complement technical skills to achieve safe and efficient practice in safety-critical occupations. These skills include communication, leadership, teamwork, stress management and situation awareness.
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For 150 years members of the surgical team have been washing their hands with solutions designed to remove micro-organisms and therefore reduce surgical site infections in patients. This article discusses the evidence surrounding aspects of surgical hand antisepsis.
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My invitation from this Journal's Editor, Felicia Cox, to provide a paper for this themed issue, included the sentence 'I was wondering if you or a colleague would like to contribute a back to basics article on the relevant standards and guidelines for decontamination, including what is compliance?'. The reason it is so interesting to me is that the term 'back to basics' implies reverting to a simpler time in life - when by just sticking to the rules, life became easier. However, with decontamination this is not actually true.
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Review Case Reports
Errors in medicine administration: how can they be minimised?
Errors in medicine administration often go unnoticed and unreported. This article describes three medicine-related errors and provides recommendations to reduce risk. All medicine-related errors should be reported locally and to the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) so that they can be collated and trends identified. Electronic prescribing and patient/medicine identification by bar codes, double checking and using colour coded syringes for intravenous and enteral administration, employing more clinical pharmacists and regular education may reduce medicine-related errors.
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Estimates suggest one in 20 patients develop an infection following surgery, costing the NHS around pounds 1bn each year (SSHAIP 2004). This article discusses surgical site infections and the commonest bacteria which cause them. It then explores two practices, preoperative body washing and preoperative hairremoval, and their effect on bacterial reduction and surgical site infection.