Page 57 - 2022 Risk Basics - Surgical Practice

SVMIC Risk Basics: Surgical Practice

Limiting Distractions

The American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) statement on

distractions in the operating room reads as follows:
4

Distraction in the operating room such as the

introduction of new technology, such as smartphones

and mobile technology, and some are a function of
noise levels, unnecessary conversation, and other

variables that dilute the focus of perioperative team
members because their attention is drawn

“to…different object[s] or different directions at the
same time”. Because of the deleterious effects of

distraction on cognitive processing and the

performance of complex tasks as well as the potential
impact of distraction on patient safety, it is important

to recognize and mitigate the risks of distraction in the

OR.

Distraction can result from both intrinsic sources

including alarms, noise from surgical devices, shift

changes, and necessary communication, as well as
extrinsic sources such as cellphones, beepers,

computers and personal electronic devices, calls from

outside the OR, communication that is not relevant to
the case, visitors and traffic in and throughout the OR.

All members of the surgical team may be affected.
5

4 http://bulletin.facs.org/2016/10/statement-on-distractions-in-the-operating-room/
5 Id.

Page | 57