Bad ink: Researchers uncover the infection menace of the preoperative marker pen
Wide tipped permanent ink delivery instruments are a patient threat, researchers find.
The infection risks in medicine have put many familiar objects under the microbial microscope.
Loose ties, smartphones, the humble stethoscope have all been labelled threats to patient safety.
Now researchers have investigated the menace of the preoperative marker pen used to indicate what part surgeons should focus on and to plan their incisional approach.
The intervention is still of enormous value if judged by the number of wrong body part sentinel events occurring in Australian healthcare.
