What is the purpose of time-out prior to surgery?

• A. To schedule the operation time
• B. To obtain patient consent again
• C. To check anesthesia equipment
• D. To verify patient identity, correct procedure, and correct surgical site

Answer: (D)

A time-out is a safety pause before incision to prevent wrong-site, wrong-procedure, or wrong-patient surgery. The main purpose is to verify three critical things: the patient’s identity, the planned procedure, and the correct surgical site (including laterality). By having the whole team confirm these details aloud just before cutting, everyone is aligned and aware of what will happen and where, reducing the risk of errors. While other readiness steps like scheduling, re-consenting, or checking anesthesia equipment happen in related processes, the time-out focuses on this precise verification of who, what, and where.