OSM560-April_DIGITAL_rev_Layout 1 4/8/13 11:07 AM Page 53
side and wrong-patient procedures occur more than 40 times every
week. It's safe to wonder whether we should indict ambiguous site
marking in the continued problem of wrong-site surgery.
"Let's take site marking for our patients as seriously as we would
take it if one of our loved ones was on the table, and make sure it's
always done, properly, consistently and recognizably," says Mr.
Byrum. "Let's focus on the autonomy that might be required to accomplish the procedure and not on the autonomy of individual site marking conventions that regularly contribute to wrong sites. Wrong sites
need to be eliminated, not reduced." OSM
E-mail doconnor@outpatientsurgery.net.
A P R I L 2 013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E | 5 3
