Malpractice Counsel: Cervical Spine Injury

In a review of recovery room incidents, Salman and Asfar² identified two cases of forgotten tourniquets out of approximately 7,000 patients. Potential strategies to avoid this mistake include: (1) only documenting procedures after they have been completed (eg, tourniquet removal); (2) double-checking that the tourniquet has been removed prior to leaving patient bedside; and (3) the use of extra-long tourniquets so the ends are more clearly visible.