SEATTLE — Surgeons at the University of Washington Medical Center are using a checklist to make sure everything is in order before an operation.
The center is one of eight hospitals worldwide testing a surgical checklist proposed by the World Health Organization.
Officials say the checklist reduces complications and deaths.
Items on the list include:
Checking the patient’s name and the nature of the operation.
Checking whether the patient has allergies and has taken antibiotics.
Counting instruments and confirming they have been removed after the operation.
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