In a new study published by the British Medical Journal, researchers found that a substantial number of medical errors involving surgical procedures were related to operating room equipment.  More specifically the study, which reviewed and compared 28 previously published medical error studies, found that 43.4% of surgical errors were due to configuration or settings of operating room equipment, 37.3% were due to equipment availability and 33.5% were related to direct malfunctioning of operating room equipment.  The study also found that use of a preoperative checklist-based system, to make sure appropriate equipment was available and functioning properly prior to surgery, reduced equipment error by nearly 50%.

To read the study, click here.