WHO launches guide to safer surgery

The checklist is contained in the WHO campaign report, Safe Surgery Saves Lives. Major surgery is a growing component of health care, with one in five people expected to have surgery at some stage of their lives. A review of the literature found a bell curve of best to worst results in every country, with rates of complications varying from 3% to 16% and mortality rates from a fraction of a percent to 10%. Estimates are that seven million patients have substantial complications after operations, and one million die.

The checklist does not add to what should be done but creates a routine to make sure that all the appropriate procedures are performed consistently. Preliminary results from a pilot programme at eight sites on every continent in the world have seen reductions in the rate of injuries by at least half at each site, and at almost no cost. Final results are anticipated by the end of this year.