Prevent Errors in Your Child's Care
Having a safe operation

What can you do to help keep your child safe before going to the hospital?
Ask that any sedatives (sleep medicines) be given at the hospital and not at home before coming to the hospital. Talk to the surgeon and others who will operate on your child. Ask how much experience they have performing the operation. It is important that you are confident in the ability of the people who will operate on your child.

What can you do to help keep your child safe before the operation?
Talk to the surgeon about the part of your child’s body that will be operated on. Ask the surgeon to mark the part to be operated on while you are in the room. This will make sure it is the correct part. Make sure the surgeon marks only the correct part and nowhere else. Ask if you can stay with your child until the sedatives (sleep medicines) begin working and your child falls asleep.

What can you do to help keep your child safe after the operation?
Ask if pediatric specialists will be caring for your child in the recovery area.

What can you do to make sure your child is safe after leaving the hospital?
Ask about the care your child will need at home. Get written instructions. Get the names and phone numbers of people to call if you have questions or in case of an emergency.

Browse other Error Prevention topics:

• General questions
• Taking medicine safely
• Having a medical or laboratory test
• Going to the hospital

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