Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39420800›Full record

ArticleJournal of evaluation in clinical practice2025

The association between surgical complications and compliance to the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist: A retrospective analysis of hospital records.

Nicole Rossi, Mario Cortina-Borja, Luca Golinelli, Federica Bersani, Marco Geraci

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07621198 (Prediction of Postoperative Complications in Major Surgery), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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.

NCT07621198 not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Prediction of Postoperative Complications in Major Surgery: A Prospective, Multicenter, Cohort Study in Low- and Middle-income Settings

TypeobservationalSponsorHospital Departamental de VillavicencioRan2026 to 2027Enrolled364ConditionsMajor SurgeryArmsPatients with postoperative complications
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Nicole RossiSchool of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9075-8282
Mario Cortina-BorjaGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-0627-2624
Luca GolinelliModena Local Health Unit, Modena, Italy.ORCID 0009-0006-3600-4654
Federica BersaniModena Local Health Unit, Modena, Italy.
Marco GeraciSchool of Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6311-8685

Funding

Great Ormond Street Hospital NIHR
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC), now used by healthcare providers worldwide, has proved to be useful in the improvement of patients' health through the reduction of mortality and morbidity after surgery. In the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy the SSC is accompanied by a document that registers any non-conformity (NC) identified during SSC completion. This study aimed to investigate the association between surgical complications and checklist compliance, in terms of incompleteness and presence of NCs, using data from the Modena Local Health Unit (LHU).

methodsWe used data from surgeries performed in the Modena LHU between 2018 and 2022, with their SSC and related NC document. We estimated relative risks (RRs) of complications fitting three modified Poisson regression models. Model 1 included checklist incompleteness and NC presence, Model 2 adjusted Model 1 for patients' sex and age group, and Model 3 adjusted Model 2 for the other potential confounders. We also performed a sensitivity analysis estimating the same three models including death outcomes as complications.

resultsWe found an increased risk of complications for both checklist incompleteness (unadjusted RR [uRR]= 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17 to 3.54) and presence of NCs (uRR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.71 to 3.22). Results were consistent after adjustment and in the sensitivity analysis.

conclusionsImproving checklist compliance can reduce the risk of surgical complications. In particular, NCs are a risk factor that must be further investigated to better understand their relationship with complications. We believe that NCs data recording is helpful for both researchers in the scope of surgical complications, and healthcare professionals in the operating room.

Indexed as

ChecklistGuideline AdherenceHospital RecordsPatient SafetyPostoperative ComplicationsSurgical Procedures, OperativeAdultAgedFemaleHumansItalyMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesWorld Health Organizationhealth services researchoperating roompatient safetysurgery complications

Identifiers

PMID39420800
PMCPMC12022938

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