ECRI: Wrong-site surgery (14 December 2020)

Summary

Wrong-site surgery is a broad, generic term that encompasses all surgical procedures performed on the wrong patient, the wrong body part, or the wrong side of the body; it can also describe performing the wrong procedure on, or performing on the wrong part of, a correctly identified anatomic site.

This guidance from ECRI reviews the various types of wrong-site surgery; discusses the incidence, risk factors, and causes of wrong-site surgery; examines barriers to effective risk reduction; highlights Joint Commission’s elements of performance for the Universal Protocol and other accreditation and regulatory issues; and offers guidance for implementing strategies to prevent the occurrence of wrong-site surgery