blaring over the room's sound system. The surgical team doesn't have
to work in silence, but it's important to limit factors that can divert
their attention from the task at hand. For example, agree on playing
music at a reasonable volume, keep conversations focused on clinical-
ly relevant topics, refrain from speaking during critical moments of
the procedure and limit foot traffic into and out of the room.
5. Brush up on the basics. Hard stops are needed to address specific
medication safety issues, but it's also important to follow standard
labeling and handling protocols. In general, the circulating nurse ver-
bally verifies with the surgical tech the solution, strength and expira-
tion date of the medication she's delivering to the sterile field. The
tech then visually confirms that information on the container's label
before filling a similarly labeled syringe. During the procedure, the
surgeon asks for the
medication, the tech
hands him the labeled
syringe as she states
which agent she's
passing and the sur-
geon confirms the
contents as he
receives the syringe.
Consider using pre-
printed labels for com-
monly used drugs to
provide the surgical
team with accurate,
easy-to-read informa-
tion. Plus, the informa-
tion on pre-printed
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