Implementation of the surgical safety checklist for pediatric operations: compliance assessment

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate compliance with the surgical safety checklist. Methods: Evaluative, observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study with a quantitative approach, performed in 431 pediatric surgeries, in a public hospital in the Federal District, between August 2017 and February 2018. Data were collected by non-participant observation and analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results: The checklist was performed in 90.3% of the surgeries, however, the completeness of the instrument and the verbal adherence to all the items were not observed in any procedure. 95.4% of the surgeries continued even with the identification of failures in safety processes. Inappropriate checks, inaccuracy of timing, performance in the absence of key professionals, and lack of active participation were observed. Conclusions: The study showed the existence of nonconformities in the adherence to the checklist and in the execution of safe practices, being an alert for the systematic risk suffered by the surgical patient and for the need for immediate interventions.