Table 2.

Important aspects of patient safety

Errors in clinical documents, information and referral of patients	This area includes many different types of error
	(i) Histories which lack essential data (clinical and allergic background and updated information about medication)
	(ii) Use of abbreviations (or bad handwriting) that lead to confusion on the part of other professionals at the same centre using the same history
	(iii) Failure to provide adequate information to the patient about the procedure, its potential risks or recommendations that must be followed to avoid complications
	(iv) Inaccuracies in patient referrals to other professionals that may lead them to make mistakes
Prescribing errors	This is one of the most dangerous areas in clinical practice
	(i) Errors in the indication for the drug (in relation to the type of drug, dose or duration of treatment)
	(ii) Allergic reactions that occur because of a lack of adequate medical records
	(iii) Drug interactions that occur because the prescribing practitioner lacks the relevant pharmacological knowledge or fails to update the list of drugs taken by the patient
	(iv) Wrong dose of drug (especially common in children and in patients with alterations in the metabolism or elimination of drugs)
	(v) Duplication of drugs (especially common with anti-inflammatories) because of a lack of coordination among the various professionals prescribing for the same patient
Surgical events	Surgery is one of the areas that produce more adverse events that threaten patient safety. It is therefore perceived as an area for strategic action by the World Health Organization
	(i) Errors in treatment planning (sometimes associated with lack of adequate clinical records previous to treatment)
	(ii) Errors in the type of procedure performed (motivated by incorrect patient identification or inadequate clinical history)
	(iii) Errors in the area of intervention (wrong-site surgery) that occur as a result of forgetfulness or the inappropriate interpretation of records by the professional
	(iv) Errors in preoperative prophylaxis in medically compromised patients
	(v) Errors in the monitoring and control of operated patients (no postoperative instruction sheet or lack of post-surgical control)
	(vi) Post-surgical infections (detected late or inadequately treated)
Accidents	The list of possible accidents (random events, unforeseen and unexpected damage to the patient) is practically infinite. Data refer to all areas of accident in dental specialties
	(i) The patient falls (due to poorly organised furniture, architectural barriers, slippery floors, etc.)
	(ii) Heavy or sharp instruments or apparatus fall on the patient
	(iii) The patient suffers accidental cuts and burns
	(iv) The patient ingests or inhales small dental material
	(v) The patient suffers eye damage