Which standard is most relevant to preventing wrong-site surgery?

• A. Mandatory preoperative antibiotic protocol
• B. Use of time-out and mark procedures per Joint Commission/NPSG
• C. Verbal consent verification at bedside
• D. Standard electronic health record review

Answer: (B)

The essential safeguard against wrong-site surgery is the time-out with site marking as outlined in the Joint Commission/National Patient Safety Goals. This creates a deliberate, team-wide pause right before incision to verify the patient’s identity, the exact procedure, and the surgical site and laterality. The surgeon generally marks the correct site beforehand, and all team members confirm these critical details during the time-out. This real-time verification directly targets and prevents mismatches that lead to operating on the wrong site.

Other standards address important safety areas but not the specific site verification at the moment of incision: antibiotic protocols aim to prevent infection, verbal consent at the bedside concerns patient authorization, and standard EHR review ensures documentation accuracy.