Abstract

A retrospective review of 463 case notes of surgical procedures performed on dogs at the surgery unit of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Ibadan Nigeria between 2003 and 2013 was conducted to evaluate the level of compliance with safety and quality of care standards. Quality of patients’ records of major surgical procedures was evaluated with reference to pre-surgical evaluation protocols, anesthetic protocols, events during and after operation, complications and surgical outcomes. The results showed that records of significant number of indicators of safety and quality evaluated were not documented in 69.23% of procedures. Records of anesthetic monitoring, pre-surgical protocol and post-operative follow-up were documented in only 5.83, 19.00 and 25.05% of procedures, respectively, while complications were recorded in 38.01% of procedures audited. Records of anesthetic and surgical risks assessments were not reported in over 80.00% of procedures while complications were documented in 38.01% of audited procedures. These findings indicate substantial non-compliance with standard practices and guidelines on documentation of surgical procedures and a possible influence on surgical outcomes.

Key words: Safety, quality, surgical, care.