Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33688942›Full record

ArticleBJS open2021

Surgical incidents and their impact on operating theatre staff: qualitative study.

N Serou, S P Slight, A K Husband, S P Forrest, R D Slight

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJS open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. An Exploration of Safety Culture, Second Victim Phenomenon and Negative Work Outcomes in Health Care Settings.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

N SerouSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
S P SlightSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
A K HusbandSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
S P ForrestDepartment of Sociology, Durham University, Durham, UK.
R D SlightPopulation Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · GBDurham University · GBNewcastle University · GBSwansea Bay University Health Board · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSurgical incidents can have significant effects on both patients and health professionals, including emotional distress and depression. The aim of this study was to explore the personal and professional impacts of surgical incidents on operating theatre staff.

methodsFace-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with a range of different healthcare professionals working in operating theatres, including surgeons and anaesthetists, operating department practitioners, and theatre nurses, and across different surgical specialties at five different hospitals. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using an inductive thematic approach, which involved reading and re-reading the transcripts, assigning preliminary codes, and searching for patterns and themes within the codes, with the aid of NVivo 12 software. These emerging themes were discussed with the wider research team to gain their input.

resultsSome 45 interviews were conducted, generally lasting between 30 and 75 min. Three overarching themes emerged: personal and professional impact; impact of the investigation process; and positive consequences or impact. Participants recalled experiencing negative emotions following surgical incidents that depended on the severity of the incident, patient outcomes, and the support that staff received. A culture of blame, inadequate support, and lack of a clear and transparent investigative process appeared to worsen impact.

conclusionThe study indicated that more support is needed for operating theatre staff involved in surgical incidents. Greater transparency and better information during the investigation of such incidents for staff are still needed.

Indexed as

Operating RoomsAttitude of Health PersonnelDepressionHumansInterviews as TopicMedical ErrorsMedical Staff, HospitalPsychological DistressPsychosocial Support SystemsQualitative ResearchSelf Concept

Identifiers

PMID33688942
PMCPMC7944493
OpenAlexW3135603742

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.