Effect of using pediatric perioperative safe surgical checklist on complication development

Aim: This study was conducted in order to analyze the effect of using a perioperative safe surgey checklist on the rate of development of complications in apediatric surgical clinic of a university hospital. Method: Patients sixteen years old and youngerwho were operated in a pediatric surgical clinic of a university hospital were included in the sample of the cross-sectional descriptive study (n=469). The data were collected via "Patient Information and Complication Form", "Preoperative Period Safe Surgery Checklist Form", "Operation Room Safe Surgery Checklist Form" and "Postoperative Period Safe Surgey Checklist Form". Number, percentage, chi-square and Fisher exact chi-square tests were used in the data evaluation. 117 patients were treated with safe surgery checklist in the perioperative period (pre-operative, intraoperative and post-operative). 100 patients were not treated with safe surgery checklist during any period. Data for 252 patients who had surgery before data collection were gathered from records. Findings: Complication incidence rates in patients were found to be 4.3% in those treated with safe surgical checklist, 14% in those not treated with the checklist and 10.7% in those who were operated on before the usage of the checklist. The difference between the complications that developed in patients who were treated with safe surgical checklist and patients who were not werefound to be statistically significant (p=0.011). In addition, the difference between the number of complications that developed in patients who were treated with safe surgical checklist and who were operated before the usage of safe surgical checklist was also found statistically significant (p=0.028). Result: Safe surgical checklist usage reduces complication rate in children. Generation and use of the safe surgical checklist aimed at children in hospitalsare suggested. Key words: Safe surgery, pediatric surgery, checklist, complication.