Is surgical safety an adherent practice in developing countries? A cross-sectional study

Background: Due to the importance of using the Safe Surgery Verification List (LVCS) and the few studies in this regard in our country, we carried out this multicenter study in three hospitals in the city of Arequipa. The objective was to determine the degree to which the Safe Surgery Checklist is used in hospitals in Arequipa. Material and Methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The studied population consisted of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and operating room nurses who work in different sectors: public (2), social security (3), and Peruvian National Police (PNP) hospitals (1). Results: A response rate of 86.04% was obtained. Of the respondents, 53.6% belonged to social security (EsSalud), 41.4% to public hospitals, and only 5% to PNP hospital. According to the occupational group, 97.6% of nurses knew this LVCS, while in the group of anesthesiologists 90.7% knew it and 88.8% of surgeons mentioned the same. Additionally, 75.5% of respondents expressed a favorable or very favorable perception of the use of the LVCS, and 89.2% were convinced that LVCS is useful. Moreover, 96.8% of the interviewed said they would recommend the use of LVCS for their own surgical interventions. Finally, 61.5% believed that LVCS has contributed to reducing adverse events in their health facilities. Conclusions: It was found that in the hospitals studied, there is still a gap in adherence to safe practices such as the application of LVCS.