Courses, cadavers, and counsellors: reducing errors in the operating theatre

Abstract

An error is a failure of a planned action to achieve a desired goal 1 . A surgical error can have severe consequences and can cause adverse effects. It has been estimated that between 45,000-98,000 deaths per year in the U.S.A. are a result of preventable adverse medical events 2-5 ; and these figures would probably be proportionally reflected across the Atlantic if estimates were available. The operating theatre is the most common site for adverse effects to occur in a hospital 6 .