Residents of Georgia who undergo surgical procedures expect things to go smoothly. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, and medical malpractice sometimes occurs. One study shows that there is a link between surgical errors and stress.
What can cause stress in the operating room?
Surgeons are human beings too, and it’s only natural for them to experience stress just like anyone else. Unfortunately, when surgeons become overwhelmed by stress, it can lead to medical errors, and the victim may be left with serious injuries or even die as a result.
Surgeons may experience stress from a variety of factors during an operation. Those range from staff coming in and out of the operating room to the repetitive beeping of medical equipment and more.
How common is stress during surgery?
Stress during surgery and resulting medical errors are especially common. According to statistics, around 250,000 to 440,000 people die each year due to medical malpractice. Surgical errors rank among the leading causes.
Researchers have developed a special smart shirt for surgeons to wear while operating. The shirt picks up on electrical activity in the heart to measure the surgeon’s stress levels. It was found that surgical errors were directly related to the level of stress a surgeon experienced while performing operations.
To help prevent medical malpractice incidents from happening, surgeons may need help learning how to better cope with stress while in the operating room. Coping mechanisms could prevent errors and decrease the frequency of patient injuries.
